While I'm not completely sure when it was written, this essay on just how different Arabs, and specifically Saudis, are is still quite interesting. While I think he may be overgeneralizing at least a little bit, this does track well with what other sources (even Arab sources) I've read say. Certainly an American who's actually lived in Saudi Arabia for a full year will have a different perspective than, say, a New York Times editor in Manhattan.