What’s the essence of “Ahlan wa sahlan”?

Arabs are famous for their hospitality. It’s of paramount importance to them to treat every guest in a royal way, and this is true at every level of society. When someone comes into their home, Arabs go to great lengths to make sure they’re well-fed, comfortable and happy! They realize that every person deserves a chance to be known. But for this to happen, one must become less judgmental and let go of biases and preconceived ideas.

Challenge yourself: try to get to know better someone you don’t necessarily like... and you’ll be surprised by what you discover!

Besides their hospitality, a well-known and commonly admitted fact is the generosity of Arab people. Indeed, we are happier when we give than when we receive. Studies have showed that spending on somebody else makes us happier than spending on ourselves.

But be careful! Even if being generous makes us happy, it’s also clear that selfless giving doesn’t. Let us explain - for you to be able to give and benefit from doing so, you need to see the impact of your generosity on others, make the process of being generous fun for you and most importantly, include yourself in your generosity. Don’t feel bad for saying « No » at times and allow yourself to feel pride when you’ve helped someone and accept people’s gratitude.

Take action: how can you do something good for someone else today?

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