Title: Etiquette in the Middle East - Wikipedia
Headings: Etiquette in the Middle East
Etiquette in the Middle East
Points of etiquette
See also
References

Content: Orthodox Christian sites might require the removal of hats by men but will expect women to cover their hair with a kerchief or veil. Public displays of affection between people of the opposite sex, including between married people, are frowned upon everywhere more conservative values hold sway. Public displays of affection include activities as minor as hand-holding. In many cases, people of the same sex holding hands while walking is considered an ordinary display of friendship without romantic connotations. In a related point, many people in the Middle East claim a more modest amount of personal space than that which is usual elsewhere. Accordingly, it can seem rude for an individual to step away when another individual is stepping closer. Special respect is paid to older people in many circumstances. This can include standing when older people enter a room, always greeting older people before others present (even if they are better known to you), standing when speaking to one’s elders, kissing the head of an elderly relative, and serving older people first at a meal table. Hospitality is held in high regard throughout the Middle East. Some hosts take pride in the laborious preparation of what is known in Europe as “ Turkish coffee ”, grinding fresh-roasted coffee beans to a fine powder, dissolving sugar, and carefully regulating the heat to produce a result that meets exacting standards.