Job Discussion Forums

[lall]

[quote="Cleopatra"]

[Cleopatra]

[007]

[Mia Xanthi]

I agree with Cleopatra on this one. Most of the Saudis whom I have encountered in the US and Europe go much farther out of their way to adapt to "western" culture than do Americans or Europeans living in Saudi Arabia. And really, they don't ask all that much of us.

[007]

[johnslat]

Well, call me a cynic, but I think that at least part of the reason many Saudi males are "perfectly content to adopt a 'when in Rome' attitude on their travels" is that many of them rather like the chance to do what the Romans do, activities and behaviors they can't do (at least openly) back home.

[trapezius]

^ Exactly.

The Saudis who do go abroad to liberal Western countries are the type who actually like most of the tenets of liberalism, be it freedom of speech, freedom of action, choice of food/drink (wink wink), etc. And that's a tiny minority of Saudis.

The vast majority of Saudis would not be able to nor want to adapt themselves to Western culture, habits, and practices if they found themselves in the West.

So, no, they are not superior to Westerners in that regard, or vice versa.

Ha, this reminds me of a story in the "Oddly Enough" section of Reuters about a year ago.

A rich Qatari guy held up a plane for an hour because he refused to allow his female relatives sit next to men. And there were no empty seats available, and other people refused to move.

[Mark100]

Interesting topic really.

There are many disillusioned expats in Saudi because they live in very difficult conditions.

Many are completely socially isolated living in sub standard accommodation with nowhere to go and nothing to do.

Stick me out in the middle of the desert for a few years in a small room iwth no friends or family and nothing to do and the results are inevitable.

THere are some seriously difficult gigs in Saudi and these are not for the faint hearted.

Aramco KFUPM BAE are some of the best gigs to get onto as these offer multi exit reentry visas, good conditions and an expat community with social events. All these things are crucial for long term Saudi survival.

There is a very good reason why even the long term Saudi expat leaves immediately when their gig is up and that is because Saudi is really a transit point for most expats to come to and make money and get out of as quick as possible.

[Mia Xanthi]

007 said "But, why the Americans or Europeans do not adapts easily to foreign cultures, especially the Middle East, Africa, Far East, or South America?"
(Wow, I really need to learn how to do this quote thing!)

007, I think that Americans and Europeans do adapt well to South America, and I have known many who have adapted well in Asian countries. It's why we don't adapt to the ME that is the real question here.

I can't really speak for why the men don't adapt, but I think there are pervasive cultural misperceptions that account for why the women don't adapt well. It's mainly the media focus on the "oppression" of women in the Middle East, symbolized by an obsession with the clothing of Middle Eastern women. It's abaya + hijab + niqab = female oppression. Western women who don't bother to get a closer look, beyond the black clothes, at our fabulous, opinionated, strong-willed Saudi sisters who resist adapting to this culture.

[Stephen Jones]

007 is totally off-beam as usual, and Mia Xanthi only partially corrects him. Westerners do adapt fine to much of the Middle East and the Arab World (which are not the same thing). The question isn't why don't Westerners adapt to the cultural habits of the Gulf? I would think the answer is rather obvious (hint -- look how well the Bangladeshis and Egyptians soak up the local culture).

[007]

[Cleopatra]

[Stephen Jones]

[007]

[trapezius]

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