As every Arab expat or person who's lived abroad will tell you, mingling with people in the Western world can sometimes be weird and perhaps even challenging.
The culture shock may come to an ease though when you learn that there are hundreds of other Arabs who, just like you, find it difficult to fully grasp all these weird and unusual norms.
Here are 9 culture shocks you're bound to experience the minute you set foot on Western land...
1. They walk... everywhere.
And they look good doing it too. Walking to and from work, to and from the grocery store, to and from EVERYWHERE.
People in the Western world walk 5 miles to reach the metro station, catch a bus, then walk another 3 miles to get to another metro station.
And somehow they're all okay with that...
2. They move out as soon as they turn 18
We have so many questions about this.
How are you financially stable enough to do that?
How are you mentally stable enough to do that?
How are your parents supportive of this decision?
One must know.
3. They split the check
The thought of this foreign concept has an Arab choking upon hearing it.
What do you mean you don't fight over the check the second it gets placed on the table? What do you mean one of you hasn't snuck up already midway through dinner and paid for it?
You're telling me every person pays for what they ordered? Strange.
4. They haven't seen their aunts and uncles in 7 years
The total number of family members they have is around 12 people, and that includes their mom and dad's side COMBINED.
They probably don't remember all their first names and haven't seen them in years. Your typical Arab, on the other hand, has around 12 aunts and uncles from their mom's side. The more the merrier, right?
5. They have strict eating hours
Adopting a Western lifestyle means having breakfast at 6:00 am, lunch at 1:00 pm sharp and absolutely nothing past 7:00 pm, and that doesn't sit too well with Arabs.
6. They often have an incredibly small wedding guest list...
...and a small wedding reception... and a super simple wedding dress... and a cake that's not 20 meters long.
All the weddings on Pinterest look like they have around 50 people, bride and groom included. And all those people seem to be genuinely happy for the couple. Weird.
7. Life stops at 9:00 pm
That's one of the main reasons why Arab expats come back to their home countries after living abroad.
Literally, every single store in the city closes at around 8 or 9 pm, leaving nothing open except for a few bars and pharmacies.
This annoying habit can be suffocating on its own if you've lived your whole life thinking its normal to go out for dessert at 10 pm or for a late night run to the supermarket.
8. They make environmentally-friendly choices
Caring about the environment? Now that is a foreign concept indeed.
Arabs are no strangers to reusing empty Nutella jars and plastic water bottles, but for some reason, the idea of recycling still hasn't stuck around.
If a Westerner catches you casually throwing away a water bottle in the wrong bin, get ready to get gazed at like you are some sort of alien.
9. They send their parents off to nursing homes
You know you're an Arab when you hear your parents mumbling and grumbling about how ridiculous and selfish it is for Westerners to send their parents to nursing homes the minute they start needing help.