Jaclyn Figg

Staff Writer

Contrary to popular belief, Mustangs, Camaros and other muscle cars are available for purchase in Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Though some people there do drive American muscle cars, as well as other sports cars, there are those who are encouraged to stay away.

“In Kuwait actually, our parents don’t give us permission to buy a sports car,” said Bader Almutairi, an electrical engineering student at ISU.

The powerful sounds from the engines are considered disrespectful to neighbors, and their parents don’t want them to park the fast cars in front of their houses, according to Almutairi and his friend Talal Alenezi, a civil engineering student, also from Kuwait.

Both Alenezi and Almutairi are Bedouin, semi-nomadic people who are historically known to inhabit desert regions and for their culture owning a muscle or sports car are strictly forbidden.

Almutairi owns a 2007 Mustang.

“I don’t like it because it’s uncomfortable and it’s a manual, so I don’t like to drive it every day,” he said.

According to Almutairi, people don’t mind the noise of sports cars as much in the United States. When asked what one of the biggest differences between Kuwait and the US is, specifically Idaho, Alenezi and Almutairi agreed one of those is weather. Snow is almost nonexistent there, and never falls to the extent it does here.

Alenezi owns a 2011 V6 Mustang with a black stripe down the middle, but he doesn’t like the handling of the car in the snow, and wants to sell it.

Hamzah Alhamzi, a civil engineering student from Saudi Arabia, said Mustangs aren’t much different in price compared to Saudi Arabia, and it differs only around $1000.

“They are the cheapest sports car, and if you look into car companies and want to find a car that has the same power as a Mustang or Camaro, then those cars are cheaper than a higher level car, like a Ferrari,” said Alhamzi.

Alhamzi opted to pursue a different style of vehicle when buying his car, and although it’s a newer model, he purchased a Lincoln MKS 2013 luxury sedan. 

“I’m not interested in a sports car, and I travel a lot so I like a car to be comfortable, more luxurious,” said Alhamzi.

Culture and environment vary from region to region, whether it’s the difference of states in the United States, such as Idaho and New York, or from country to country like Russia and Saudi Arabia.

“In Kuwait it’s super-hot: for like seven months it’s very hot and for three months it’s winter, but some of the days in winter are hot too,” said Almutairi.

When the season is changing from summer to winter, Almutairi and Alhamzi say there may be a day or so that goes through all seasons in one.

Another notable difference in American culture from Kuwaiti and Saudi Arabian culture is the way people dress. The men wear thobes, an ankle-length-shirt- type garment that is long sleeved with a headdress. When out in public, most women normally wear a robe-like garment over their everyday clothes.

“We don’t wear normal [casual] clothes when we stay with our family, because it’s respectful,” said Almutairi, adding, “We wear this clothing outside when we go to the malls, camping or with friends; it’s okay.”

Additionally, Alenezi said they wear the traditional clothing if there’s a wedding or something similar, or if they meet with their tribe.

It’s common in the Middle East for families to live together, however it’s contrarily common for people in the US to move out when they reach adulthood or upon getting married and starting their own family.

“[In America] as soon as someone gets up to eighteen or older, the average person moves out of their home, back home that doesn’t happen,” said Alhamzi. “I have a couple of brothers that are married and they still live in our house and nobody says anything about it. If they wanted to go live in their own house they could, but we just like to be gathered together.”

Ramadan is a tradition in Muslim culture that for one month of the year they fast from sunrise to sunset for the homeless to appreciate and feel for them. The people make food and take it to the Mosque so the homeless have food to eat.

Ramadan, while dealing with helping the homeless, is more widely recognized as one of the Five Pillars of Islam which commemorates the first relevelation of the Quran to Muhammad.

Alenezi and Almutairi haven’t quite felt at home here in Idaho. They don’t feel as welcomed here, compared to the time they’ve spent in other American states such as Montana or Florida

“I have a lot of friends, American people in Florida, but here I don’t have anyone, just Kuwaiti people,” said Alenezi.

Many people would consider Idaho a more conservative state, and although the perspective of individuals can vary from person to person, perhaps people in Idaho need to be more understanding of other cultures and break free from this position.

“I used to live in Montana and people there smile a lot, which makes me happy, but everybody in Idaho seems angry,” said Alhamzi. “I don’t know for what reason but people here just don’t want to smile.”