I am a Saudi Arab ... the world deserves to know us better

In the Western imagination, Arabs are a hard, stubborn, and unforgiving people. Westerners who visit the Arab world are often surprised to see how kind, generous and hospitable Arabs are. Conflicts are resolved with a smile and a handshake, and anyone requiring help, no matter their origins, will receive one hundred offers of assistance.

We may be proud people who stand up for who we are, but above all, we appreciate the joy of good company, time shared even with a stranger, and giving what we can if it can be of help or even just produce a smile in another person.

As a Saudi Arabian, I am biased, of course, but I thought I would write this article no matter my acknowledged preconceptions, because I also firmly believe that the West has historically misunderstood Arabs, our motivations, and our warm hearts.

The British historian Arnold Toynbee called Arabs “generous to a fault,” and the US political commentator Thomas Friedman even remarked that if diaspora Jews had chosen to live in the Arab world instead of Europe, “there would be 6 million more Jews alive today.” This capacity to accept others and to recognize their differences — as Arabs did with the Jews and Christians in their midst for centuries — is one that goes almost completely unrecognized in the West, where many see Arabs only through the prism of Israel or Al-Qaeda. Most of all, they fail to realize how forgiving we are, and ready to open a new page even with the most bitter of adversaries.

The West has historically misunderstood Arabs, our motivations, and our warm hearts.

In recent years, several additional Arab countries have established diplomatic relations with Israel, welcoming Israeli aircraft and visitors to their supposedly conservative and mistrusting lands. We can proudly report that Israelis, even traditionally dressed Orthodox Jews, have visited these Arab countries in large numbers and no serious incident or provocation has been reported. Instead, they have enjoyed Arab hospitality, hotels, and shopping as any other visitor would.

In Saudi Arabia, we must admit that we are grateful to the US oil companies that discovered oil in our land and brought in foreign workers. We built a stronger future for our country and also enjoyed the wealth our visitors brought in terms of their cultural diversity. In the early days, foreigners chose to live in walled compounds so as not to shock locals with their foreign ways. Today, Saudi Arabia prides itself in being one of the countries with the most immigrants. Indeed, 38 percent of our inhabitants today are foreign born, Muslim and non-Muslim, sharing their cultures with us, while we share our taamiyeh (falafel), kabsa, and the date of the noble palm tree with them.

The novelty lies in our behavior and acceptance. After many travels and extended encounters with foreign cultures, I am proud to say that we Arabs are a special and endearing people. Not only are we generous and welcoming, but we also want to make things work, overcoming the deepest grudges with a shared show of respect and a handshake. If the West were more aware of this aspect of our character, I believe we could resolve a great deal of conflict and misunderstanding.

When we Arabs bump into each other we do not look at the ground and utter an incomprehensible whisper, as many do in the West. Instead, we pat each other’s shoulder, look each other in the eye, and assure ourselves that we are both OK, moving on with a smile and a heartfelt apology. This is who we Arabs are. I am certain that if the world knew us better, we could avoid a great deal of hurt, conflict, and misunderstanding.

• Hassan bin Youssef Yassin worked closely with Saudi Arabia’s petroleum ministers Abdullah Tariki and Ahmed Zaki Yamani from 1959-1967. He led the Saudi Information Office in Washington from 1972-1981 and served with the Arab League’s observer delegation to the UN from 1981-1983.