{{Main article|Culture of Eastern Arabia|Eastern Arabian cuisine}}
Arab states on the Persian Gulf are culturally close to each other, except for Iraq.
[[Islam]] shapes most of the cultural traditions and customs, Soap operas are important national pastimes in the Gulf Arab region. They are most popular during the time of [[Ramadan]], when families gather to break their fast. Most of these soap operas are based in [[Kuwait]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.broadcastprome.com/content-creation/big-plans-for-small-screens/#.VwhXXvl97IV|title=Big plans for small screens|work=BroadcastPro Me|quote=Around 90% of Khaleeji productions take place in Kuwait.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Constantinos |last= Papavassilopoulos|url=https://technology.ihs.com/496709/osn-targets-new-markets-by-enriching-its-arabic-content-offering|title=OSN targets new markets by enriching its Arabic content offering|work=[[IHS Inc.]]|date=10 April 2014}}</ref> Kuwaiti soap operas are the most-watched soap operas in the Persian Gulf region.<ref name="fattah">{{cite news |first=Nawara |last=Fattahova |url=http://news.kuwaittimes.net/first-kuwaiti-horror-movie-to-be-set-in-haunted-palace-chilling-news-for-film-buffs/|title=First Kuwaiti horror movie to be set in ‘haunted’ palace|newspaper=Kuwait Times|date=26 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Fahad|last=Al Mukrashi|url=http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/oman/omanis-turn-their-backs-on-local-dramas-1.1568086|title=Omanis turn their backs on local dramas|newspaper=Gulf News|date=22 August 2015|quote=Kuwait’s drama industry tops other Gulf drama as it has very prominent actors and actresses, enough scripts and budgets, produces fifteen serials annually at least.}}</ref> Although usually performed in the Kuwaiti dialect, they have been shown with success as far away as [[Tunisia]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Peter |last=Mansfield |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uzy_AAAAIAAJ&q|title=Kuwait: vanguard of the Gulf |publisher=Hutchinson |date=1990 |page=113 |quote=Some Kuwaiti soap operas have become extremely popular and, although they are usually performed in the Kuwaiti dialect, they have been shown with success as far away as Tunisia.}}</ref> Kuwaiti [[popular culture]], in the form of theatre, radio and television soap opera, flourishes and is exported to neighbouring Arab states of the Persian Gulf.<ref name="cliv">{{cite book|author=Clive Holes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8E0Rr1xY4TQC&pg=PA75|title=Modern Arabic: Structures, Functions, and Varieties|date=2004|page=75|publisher=Georgetown University Press|isbn=978-1-58901-022-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Ali Alawi|url=http://www.yourmiddleeast.com/features/alis-roadtrip-from-bahrain-to-kuwait-photos_13423|title=Ali's roadtrip from Bahrain to Kuwait (PHOTOS)|quote=The trip to Kuwait – a country that has built a deep connection with people in the Persian Gulf thanks to its significant drama productions in theater, television, and even music – started with 25 kilometers of spectacular sea view}}</ref> Darb El Zalag, Khalti Gmasha, and Ruqayya wa Sabika are among the most important television productions in the Persian Gulf region.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theasian.asia/archives/87665|title=Kuwaiti Drama Museum: formulating thoughts of the Gulf|date=23 May 2014}}</ref> Kuwait is widely considered the cultural capital of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf region,<ref name="mdt">{{cite news|url=http://www.muscatdaily.com/Archive/Features/Kuwait-an-urban-spectacle-3xlc|title=Kuwait an urban spectacle|work=[[Muscat Daily]]|date=26 March 2015|access-date=3 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822101728/http://www.muscatdaily.com/Archive/Features/Kuwait-an-urban-spectacle-3xlc|archive-date=22 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aljarida.com/articles/1461965247680716900/|title= الله… الله عليك يا الكويت|work=[[Al-Jarida]]|language=ar|date=28 July 2011}}</ref> frequently dubbed the "[[Hollywood]] of the Gulf" due to the popularity of its Arabic television soap operas and theatre.{{refn|<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mbc.net/ar/programs/banat-sokkar-nabat/articles/%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%85-%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%84-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89--%D9%87%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AC----%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A3-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%82%D9%88%D9%82-%D9%81%D9%8A--%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1-%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-.html|title=مريم حسين ترحل إلى "هوليوود الخليج".. وتتبرأ من العقوق في "بنات سكر نبات"|work=[[Middle East Broadcasting Center|MBC]]|language=ar|date=29 August 2015|access-date=3 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011010019/http://www.mbc.net/ar/programs/banat-sokkar-nabat/articles/%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%85-%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%84-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89--%D9%87%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AC----%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A3-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%82%D9%88%D9%82-%D9%81%D9%8A--%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1-%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-.html|archive-date=11 October 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.alwatanvoice.com/arabic/news/2015/07/08/740666.html|title=هيفاء حسين : الكويت هي هوليود الخليج|language=ar|date=8 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.elfann.com/news/show/1059017/%D9%85%D9%86%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B4%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D9%87%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AC-%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%86%D9%87%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A9|title=منى البلوشي: الكويت هي هوليود الخليج ويقصدونها للشهرة |language=ar|date=25 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.alsharq.net.sa/2014/12/21/1267694|title=ارحمة لـ الشرق: أبحث دائماً عن التميّز والكويت هوليود الخليج|language=ar|date=21 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title="السليم لـ «الراي": الدراما منتعشة ... والكويت «هوليوود الخليج |newspaper=[[Al Rai (Kuwaiti newspaper)|Al Rai]] |url=http://www.alraimedia.com/ar/article/celebrities/2016/02/03/654281/nr/kuwait |language=ar |date=3 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.alanba.com.kw/ar/art-news/8250/28-02-2007-%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D9%87%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AC/|title=زينب العسكري: الكويت هوليوود الخليج|language=ar|date=28 February 2007|work=[[Al-Anba (Kuwait)|Al-Anba]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYvv0hrk5mc|title=النجم الكوميدي داوود حسين الكويت هوليود الخليج غصب عن خشم أكبر رأس|work=Scope|date=26 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.alkhaleej.ae/alkhaleej/page/917342a7-6375-425a-97cb-d5f158adaee3|title= "أحمد الجسمي: عاتب على «دبي" و«أم بي سي|work=[[Al Khaleej (newspaper)|Al Khaleej]]|language=ar|date=3 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://alwatan.kuwait.tt/articledetails.aspx?id=184422&yearquarter=20122|title=!طلال السدر في الديوانية: انجذابي لـ"هوليوود الخليج"..أقدار|work=[[Al-Watan (Kuwait)|Al Watan]]|language=ar|date=4 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aljarida.com/articles/1465215410991517600/|title=ريم أرحمة: حريصة على اختيار نصوص جيدة أكثر من الظهور في رمضان|work=[[Al-Jarida]]|language=ar|date=7 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.alqabas.com/Articles.aspx?ArticleID=480748&date=06062016&isauthor=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160713142822/http://archive.alqabas.com/Articles.aspx?ArticleID=480748&date=06062016&isauthor=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 July 2016|title=وفاء مكي: موزة تعيش في ذاكرتي|language=ar|work=[[Al-Qabas]]|date=13 March 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aljarida.com/articles/1461795846058196900/|title=مي أحمد: المواهب الشابة لا تقلّّ رقياً عن الفنانين الكبار|language=ar|work=[[Al-Jarida]]|date=19 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://almada.cc/?p=100094|title=الإماراتي أحمد الخميس: لن أنسى ما فعله طارق العلي معي! |language=ar|date=6 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.alqabas.com/Articles.aspx?ArticleID=1119586&CatID=835|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911092840/http://archive.alqabas.com/Articles.aspx?ArticleID=1119586&CatID=835|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 September 2016|title=سناء: الكويت هوليوود الخليج|language=ar|date=17 December 2015|work=[[Al-Qabas]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://alwatan.kuwait.tt/articledetails.aspx?id=429890&yearquarter=20152|title=فيديو - رئيس مجلس إدارة نقابة الفنانين الكويتية د. نبيل الفيلكاوي: الكويت "هوليوود الخليج" لكنها لاتملك أكاديمية للفنون|language=ar|date=22 April 2015|work=Al Watan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.annaharkw.com/annahar/Article.aspx?id=661706&date=05062016|title=فايز بن دمخ: نفخر باسم الأمير سعود بن محمد |language=ar|date=1 June 2016|work=[[Annahar (Kuwait)|Annahar]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite 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The inhabitants of [[Eastern Arabia|Eastern Arabia's coast]] share similar cultures and music styles such as [[fijiri]], [[sawt (music)|sawt]] and [[liwa (music)|liwa]]. The most noticeable cultural trait of Eastern Arabia's Arabs is their [[Seafaring|orientation and focus towards the sea]].<ref name="an">{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hsU798UPaeYC&pg=PA67&dq|title=Iranians in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates|work=Eric Andrew McCoy|pages=67–68}}</ref> [[Sea|Maritime]]-focused life in the small Arab states has resulted in a [[Seafaring|sea-oriented society]] where livelihoods have traditionally been earned in marine industries.<ref name="an"/>
