"How do your parents feel about you coming to Saudi Arabia?"

It was late at night and I had spent my first day in Riyadh with my friend Aziz. We ordered pizza and watched the Saudi Pro League match before heading to a 24/7 coffee shop.

These late-night establishments dominate the country's social scene because it's so hot during the day. As Aziz and I sipped on some 0.0% beers (yes, Saudi serves non-alcoholic beer), he asked how my family felt and it was only fair to tell him the truth.

"Honestly, we argued about it for a long time. They were not on board with it," I told him, unsure how he'd take it.

But Aziz wasn't surprised by my answer. And his reply left me thinking deeply about how we perceive things we don't understand.

"Yes, that's normal. If I traveled to the United States, my parents would also be very concerned for me."

It dawned on me that the same way we perceive Saudi Arabia to be a country full of intolerance, bombs, and beheadings, they perceive the US to be a country of guns, crime, and mass shootings.

In both cases, it's all perspective.

Saudi, Debunked

As Aziz and I drove through Riyadh's endless highways, I became increasingly shocked at how a country that's received so much negative Western media could be so...normal.

I half-expected to be shamed for not being Muslim, judged if I wore shorts in public, and feel an incessant need to tread lightly as if Big Brother was watching me.

Instead, I walked freely, spoke freely, and let my curiosity drive the conversation. For Aziz, nothing was off-limits as we patiently talked through everything currently happening in the country.

We talked about Vision 2030, which has been transforming the country into a modern desert oasis and decreasing its dependence on oil. With much negative attention on The Line, people have ignored successful projects like Diriyah, a traditional Saudi town I visited with Aziz.

We discussed Islam, which I was surprised to learn believes almost the same story of creation as Christianity and Judaism. They even believe that Jesus Christ was a Prophet and will return–same as Christians!

We dove deep into family life, an important pillar in their culture. Aziz, who is unmarried, would still live with them if they resided in the same city. He also told me about his little sister, who wears the niqab–a black veil only exposing a woman's eyes.

Nowadays, not all women wear it and Aziz's family never forced her to. But she chose to do so because she wanted to be like her mother.

More Similar Than We'd Admit

One day Aziz introduced me to traditional Saudi food called Kabsah that we ate on the floor and with our hands. It was as simple as a meal could get–chicken, rice, and assorted sauces–but I loved the intimate feel that this setting brought.

I loved the dish even more.

As we ate, I began building a mental model of Saudi that was surprisingly similar to the US.

Our two countries are the top oil producers in the world.

The US is the birthplace of modern democracy, an appealing country for pro-democracy, pro-capitalist people to move to. Saudi is the birthplace of Islam, an attractive destination for those seeking a deeper connection to their religion.

Both countries successfully project power internationally and share the same regional enemy–Iran–which has brought our countries closer in the last few years. Both offer a strong quality of life through plentiful job opportunities, large amounts of infrastructure, and pro-business stances.

Furthermore, the US has attracted the best basketball, baseball, and hockey players to our pro sports leagues. The salaries are the highest in the world and athletes want a piece of the pie. Saudi Arabia has recently done the same in soccer.

The list went on. But I couldn't help but question why the media continues to focus on the negatives without highlighting the rapid progress Saudi Arabia has made.

As I stuffed my face with Kabsah, it became clear that no one doing the reporting had tried this dish or they'd be singing a different tune.

Patriotism

On my final day in Riyadh, Aziz and I decided to celebrate Saudi National Day in style. He outfitted me in a traditional thobe and shemagh (white robe and red headdress) as we went to Al Bujairi to soak in the festivities.

We ate some dessert and overlooked the mud-brick complex before watching some reenactments of Saudi Arabia's first king returning from exile to conquer the Ottomans and reunify the country.

I couldn't have felt more grateful for my time in Saudi's capital. It was no doubt a different experience, but one that proved to me that we shouldn't buy into everything being reported on.

I've never seen one report highlighting Saudi Arabian hospitality, which was so good it deserves its own post.

No one talks about the rapid progress made for women in the country, who have access to more jobs and opportunities than ever before. Nor do people mention all the mothers and fathers in the country who have raised their children to be models of respect and politeness.

Western media ignores the country's attempt to preserve Islam in its purest form, which people travel from all over the Arab world to witness. Instead, it pushes Saudi to become more like Dubai without realizing that doing so dilutes the Saudi Arabian experience.

I saw these things firsthand, not from an article. Things are changing fast, and they're changing for the better.

So before you judge Saudi Arabia on the next news story, I invite you to check it out yourself.

You won't be disappointed :)