Hookahs in the Arab World

Hookahs are used socially in the Arab World and can be found in coffee shops, hookah bars, restaurants, and other local establishments. Most commonly people in the Arab World will smoke with single or double hose hookahs but sometimes using triple or quadruple hose hookahs at parties or arrangements with a small group of people.

Hookah Etiquette

In the Arab World there are certain gestures of respect made towards other people who are also smoking from the hookah. One way to display respect or friendship to the person who passes you the hookah is to lightly slap them on the back. When finished with the hose you either put it on the table so people know it’s not in use or pass it to the next person using it but make sure the mouthpiece isn’t pointing towards the next user.

When in cafes or restaurants in the Arab World people will usually order their own hookah instead of sharing it because they don’t cost much to use. Cafes and restaurants will usually charge anywhere from $3-25 USD to rent the hookah. In the Arab World most people visit cafes and all across the Middle East a large percentage of the adult population use hookahs.