US student impressed by local traditions

A female university student from the US said her 10-day experience in Saudi Arabia with nine other students allowed her to become familiar with a culture that many people do not understand and view negatively.
Miranda Beggin, who studies at Northeastern University in Boston, said she and her colleagues decided before they arrived in the Kingdom to wear an abaya and cover their hair out of respect for the local traditions.
“Nobody asked us to do that, and nobody stopped us in the streets if we were not wearing the abaya or the headdress,” she told the local media.
The American student confirmed she did not encounter any danger or problem during their visits to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Dhahran.
In response to a question about contrasts between Saudi and American societies, Beggin said that Saudis see themselves as part of a collective society, as opposed to the individualistic characteristics that make up American society.
“Saudis give priority to society and culture before their individual ambitions,” she said.
Beggin is planning to visit the country again.