In the Arab Gulf countries, the prevalence of coronavirus is higher among men due to the tradition of male gatherings. This reason for the high rate of infection among men was named by the researcher in the field of culture of modern societies Kalsam Abderrahman in an interview with RIA Novosti.
According to him, in Arab countries, women spend more time at home than men. Society in the Gulf states is built on daily interactions and meetings with relatives and friends, primarily between men outside the home.
Such communication is based on men's gatherings in special separate rooms at houses, which are called “majlis”, she explained. At the same time, the “Mejlis” are open to everyone, so usually many people gather there. Sometimes it can even take the form of some kind of cultural forums with musical performances, games or poetry readings.
The expert explained that usually Arab men do not spend much time at home with their families. “After this, of course, it is difficult for them to immediately sit at home for months,” she said. In addition, men are usually sent to carry out any risky work associated with the possibility of contracting coronavirus.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are the leading Arab countries in terms of the number of coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic. Now in the kingdom, more than 49 thousand infected have been identified, in Qatar – more than 29 thousand.
Earlier, the International Monetary Fund said that the coronavirus pandemic will hit the economies of the Middle East more than the 2008 global economic crisis and the 2015 oil crisis. The crisis will hit the Middle East countries harder than the rest, as their economies, which are largely based on oil exports, are under additional pressure from a sharp decline in prices for this raw material.
