The type of questions, quantity and how personal they are, vary with the culture and education level of the one who is questioning.
Western cultures tend to maintain a certain distance (from personal issues) in first encounters, as eastern cultures generally tend to get into personal questions right at first encounters. This is seen by them not as being nosy and lack of tact but as a means to show that they care for you.
For the religion question, it’s a regional thing as religion (in general) does play a greater role in people's lives in this region when compared to elsewhere in the world.
The best way to deal with these questions is to avoid being arrogant or ironic (as the other person may be totally unprepared to receive this reaction to their "friendly" and "caring" approach.
Remember that living in a multicultural country is not the same as living in a mono-culture country (such as Qatar) with many nationalities.
If you feel uncomfortable with the question and don’t want to answer it, politely explain that in your culture the questioned asked is considered private and personal.
The type of questions, quantity and how personal they are, vary with the culture and education level of the one who is questioning.
Western cultures tend to maintain a certain distance (from personal issues) in first encounters, as eastern cultures generally tend to get into personal questions right at first encounters. This is seen by them not as being nosy and lack of tact but as a means to show that they care for you.
For the religion question, it’s a regional thing as religion (in general) does play a greater role in people's lives in this region when compared to elsewhere in the world.
The best way to deal with these questions is to avoid being arrogant or ironic (as the other person may be totally unprepared to receive this reaction to their "friendly" and "caring" approach.
Remember that living in a multicultural country is not the same as living in a mono-culture country (such as Qatar) with many nationalities.
If you feel uncomfortable with the question and don’t want to answer it, politely explain that in your culture the questioned asked is considered private and personal.