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    21 Stereotype-Exploding Facts About The Middle East

    It's a drunker place than you might think.

    1. Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Syria, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Turkey, and Morocco all have their own national beers.

    2. Lebanese are obsessed with plastic surgery - 1.5 million surgeries per year in a country of only 4 million!

    3. The Kingdom of Bahrain has a small native Jewish community and is the only Middle Eastern country (besides Israel) to appoint a Jewish ambassador from an Arab country.

    4. In Lebanon, you can ski in the morning and visit the beach in the afternoon. And take photos of the sights along the way.

    5. 20% of Israel's citizens are Arabs

    6. Dubai hosts all-you-can-drink brunches every Friday where nobody gets cut off.

    7. This is what summer looks like in Salalah, Oman.

    8. The worst terrorist attack in Dubai’s history was caused not by al Qaeda but Omani communists in 1961. 238 people died.

    9. People in Gaza love KFC enough to smuggle it past the Egyptian army through tunnels from Egypt.

    10. Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is building a city with zero cars, zero carbon emissions, and a university that will specialize in green technology.

    11. Saudi Arabia has its own nearly-unknown Petra at Keznah near Jordan.

    12. 89% of the United Arab Emirates is made up of immigrants.

    13. The Majlis al Jinn in Oman is the second largest cave in the world.

    14. The United Arab Emirates has less crime than Germany, the U.S., Canada, Britain, Australia, or New Zealand.

    15. Emirati girls are better educated than boys.

    16. Education City in Qatar hosts Texas A&M, Georgetown University, Northwestern University, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Virginia Commonwealth University.

    17. This is Jordan in winter.

    18. Arab hospitality is no joke.

    19. One of the best-preserved Roman temples in the world is in Lebanon.

    20. This is Lebanon...

    21. ...this is the Golan Heights...

    22. ...and this is Yemen.

    So don't let headlines decide where you travel; find your own path. The Middle East is not just one big bomb waiting to go off. Go there and find out its secrets for yourself.