In Saudi Arabia cultural communication has become a necessity of modern-day life as an economic, social and information revolution takes hold. Many locals struggle with accepting foreigners, particularly those of different religions and cultural backgrounds. With privacy continuing to be a major pillar of Saudi society, this represents a major obstacle to cross-cultural integration.

Meanwhile, Westerners elect to accommodate themselves in highly secured compounds far away from the Saudi general public. There are several reasons for this, namely, the current political climate necessitates these precautions. However, even before the terrorist activities of recent years, Westerners chose to segregate themselves, due to the language barrier and the desire to fulfill a normal Western life in Saudi Arabia.

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