The moment you think you finally understand men, you start dating an Arabic man, and all your previous effort becomes unimportant. Why?
Because dating a guy from the Middle East or North Africa is totally different from dating someone from the West.
Arab culture, its long-lasting traditions, and their behavior are generally quite different than nonarabic men. But don’t worry; we’re here to help! So let’s begin.
9 Things You Should Know Before Dating An Arabic Guy
Dating a Middle Eastern man comes with many benefits, but you’ll need to be careful, especially if you don’t have any dating experience.
But here are 9 things you should take into account before dating an Arabic man.
1. Respect your elders
Arab people care for their elders and live for their family. They have a hierarchy in every household, where everyone knows their exact place.
At the top of the pyramid, you can find the oldest family members. They are approached with great respect, and younger members appreciate their advice, no matter if your Arab partner shares their opinion or not.
This is probably the first thing you might find a little strange when you dive into the Arab world, but you’ll get used to it.
2. He puts his family first
Again, Arab men are extremely family-oriented, especially Lebanese men. They are very traditional, and their tradition says to respect their family as an honorable institution.
So if you start dating an Arabic man, be aware that you’ll constantly have to share them with their family members, and I don’t only mean their closest family members… I mean all of them.
This might be a problem if you aren’t a family-oriented person and don’t see the value of quality family time.
3. PDA is a big NO
If you’re going on a first date with an Arab guy, just keep in mind that PDAs (public displays of affection) are something they don’t really enjoy.
Many Arab men connect physical intimacy with their religion, Islam. They share the opinion that physical intimacy is private and should only be done in a private setting, such as at home.
Additionally, some Arabic countries even consider demonstrating affection in public spaces illegal.
So if your love language is physical touch, I am sorry to break it to you, but your partner will probably be extremely uncomfortable expressing love and affection in that manner in public.
4. You can’t be too close to your male friends
Even though they treat both sexes equally, the ingrained notion that only men should interact with other men and vice versa persists.
They don’t like the idea of you having a male best friend, spending the night together, or going on trips together. He thinks that you should only do this with him and no one else.
5. They may be jealous
Although Arab men aren’t as jealous as the stereotypes say, they still might express a certain level of jealousy.
This applies to Arab women as well; if you’re dating someone, it’s considered immoral to hang out with other members of the opposite sex.
Also, dresses that are too tight or too short will also trigger their jealousy, and you don’t want to take this road.
6. Your whole world will change
When an Arab person enters your life, you also become part of the Arab world. So be prepared for your life to change drastically.
This doesn’t mean you’ll have to obey all their cultural and religious customs, but dating someone with a different ethnicity will make your life different.
You have two completely different lifestyles, and you will need to make sacrifices if you want a healthy relationship.
7. He loves to be in control
No, the fact that he loves to be in control of certain little things doesn’t mean you’ll have a toxic relationship.
Their culture is all about showing off and having power over certain things. You’ll see that they are pretty generous but can’t help but talk about their wealth, money, and cars.
They will often try to lead the relationship, making different proposals, arranging beauty treatments for you, and making decisions for small, silly things.
8. They have their own standard of beauty
You may be surprised if an Arab guy picked you, a blond girl from Wisconsin, when a ton of other girls fit their beauty standard: dark hair, large eyes, full lips, and a defined jawline.
Well, he picked you because you aren’t like the other girls. He loves that you don’t have long dark hair – he loves your blond hair and enjoys looking into those deep blue eyes.
9. They want to be valued and respected
I mean, who doesn’t want to be valued and respected? However, Arab men have a different perspective on what respect is.
They love when you don’t show other guys attention, when you show them how proud you are of them, and that you’re loyal to them no matter what.
5 Clear Signs An Arabic Man Is Into You
As dating an Arabic man is different, it also won’t be so easy to spot whether they like you. So, what are the signs an Arab guy is into you? Let’s find out!
1. He adapts to you and your traditions
The most unmistakable sign is if he’s adapting to you and your culture. We all know how Arab men can sometimes be stubborn, especially when altering their habits and traditions.
So if he changes those habits or plans because of you, it’s a definite sign he’s into you.
He will think he’s not good enough for you because you don’t share the same interests, so he’ll do many things only to impress you and let you know how much he cares about you.
2. He always wants to be near your
So we’ve already stated that family is a top priority for every Arabian man. But what happens if he cancels family dinner just to spend more time with you?
This sign alone will be enough evidence that he’s totally into you. The moment he decides you’re worth canceling family plans, you’ll become his official girlfriend.
In a matter of days, he’ll want to introduce you to his family. Yes, you’re wife material!
3. He buys you things
One thing every Arab guy likes to do is to show off. The best way to show off and make you feel special and valued is to buy you expensive gifts.
Yes, if he likes you, you may expect a very expensive gift, even if it’s your second date. By buying you gifts, he wants you to know that he doesn’t care about money as long as you feel special and valued.
4. He is jealous
Arab men can be extremely jealous, but only when they really care about you. If they don’t have any feelings for you, they won’t be jealous at all.
If they are interested in where and with whom you went out last night, what you wore, these are all signs that he’s jealous and that he cares about you and wants to know if you are safe.
5. They want to skip the online dating part
Most of the time, you’ll meet an Arab guy on different dating sites.
If you went on a first date and you really made a good impression, they’ll want to skip the online part and chatting and immediately go to the dating part.
They are known for rushing into things if they realize they like a girl.
What Are The Best Qualities Of An Arab Man?
People from Arab Countries make great partners, whether from Saudi Arabia, Morocco, or Lebanon. They all care about you and are protective, a little too protective sometimes.
As they value their family, they also make great husbands and fathers, so you won’t need to worry if they’ll look out for your children.
Arab Muslim men also know how important the role of a wife and mother is, so they’ll definitely honor you and have your back during hard times.
Are Arabic Men Possessive?
Most women think dating Arab men comes with many troubles because they can be highly possessive and jealous.
Truth be told, when an Arab guy is in love with you, he might act possessively from time to time.
But extreme possessiveness is just a stereotype. Centuries ago, this wasn’t a stereotype; it was a real thing that happened, but now things have changed.
Whether he’s Jordanian, Palestinian, Algerian, Moroccan, or Egyptian, he will always respect you and your standards and won’t act like he is the one in control.
Are Muslim Men Allowed To Have A Non-Muslim Girlfriend?
Muslim men are allowed to have girlfriends who are not Muslim. According to the Qur’an, they are even allowed to marry them but with certain conditions.
She needs to be a follower of the Book, meaning she can be Christian or Jewish, but she can’t be an atheist. However, most of the time, religion isn’t the problem; it’s their family and tradition.
Arabic families prefer Muslim women over western women because they are more familiar with their culture and have similar moral standards and ways of thinking.
Additionally, Islam recommends that you get married as soon as possible and don’t date for a long time, so be aware of that before dating an Arabic man.
On A Final Note
Now that you know everything about dating an Arabic man, it’s time to make a decision.
Arab women already know the drill for dating Arabic men, but you might encounter some difficulties if this is not your ethnicity.
Although those difficulties are something you can get over, carefully read this article and decide if you can accept those differences and enjoy your different but powerful kind of love!
Don’t let the misconceptions and stereotypes fool you: If someone truly loves you, they will care for you and respect you, whether European, Arab, or Asian.
