I preface the below comments as that from an Englishman who's spent some time in the ME.
I understand about the men holding hands part having seen it many times, made me wince the first time, I thought there was a serious homosexual element in the region, hence the medical tests for visa's, aids anybody?
However I also remember walking around Mall of the Emirates (Dubai) holding hands with my son, in fact he started to feel uneasy & from that day forward would never hold my hand. He associated it with being 'gay', nothing else.
I personally don't have a problem with it, Qatar is much stricter than Dubai, most western heterosexual couples there walk around hand in hand as it's such an ingrained part of our traditional family lives & early boy/girl-friend relationships becomes a symbol; "she's mine" or whatever.
As more westerners come here then I'm sure it will become far more common a sight, its inevitable, like not smoking in malls has become...
Only in some places in the UK do you see adult men holding hands with other men, there it's typically a sign of being gay.
I'd hold the hand of a girl-friend but would not a male (own son excepted), so ingrained is that mentality.
I think it would be nice to see straight couples or close friends feel comfortable to do that, rather than being 'stared' at in Malls as most blokes would of two men holding hands in the Uk.
Holding hands is not necessarily a pre-cursor to jumping into bed together, it is often a sign of friendship, but as I say it all depends on the culture you're from & what is considered 'normal' to you.
In my opinion, a couple should not have to be married to partake of such an 'act'.
However, I respect the culture here, so comply when with a female friend!
I preface the below comments as that from an Englishman who's spent some time in the ME.
I understand about the men holding hands part having seen it many times, made me wince the first time, I thought there was a serious homosexual element in the region, hence the medical tests for visa's, aids anybody?
However I also remember walking around Mall of the Emirates (Dubai) holding hands with my son, in fact he started to feel uneasy & from that day forward would never hold my hand. He associated it with being 'gay', nothing else.
I personally don't have a problem with it, Qatar is much stricter than Dubai, most western heterosexual couples there walk around hand in hand as it's such an ingrained part of our traditional family lives & early boy/girl-friend relationships becomes a symbol; "she's mine" or whatever.
As more westerners come here then I'm sure it will become far more common a sight, its inevitable, like not smoking in malls has become...
Only in some places in the UK do you see adult men holding hands with other men, there it's typically a sign of being gay.
I'd hold the hand of a girl-friend but would not a male (own son excepted), so ingrained is that mentality.
I think it would be nice to see straight couples or close friends feel comfortable to do that, rather than being 'stared' at in Malls as most blokes would of two men holding hands in the Uk.
Holding hands is not necessarily a pre-cursor to jumping into bed together, it is often a sign of friendship, but as I say it all depends on the culture you're from & what is considered 'normal' to you.
In my opinion, a couple should not have to be married to partake of such an 'act'.
However, I respect the culture here, so comply when with a female friend!