RIP I wouldn't say ALL Arabs are like that. May be Gulf Arabs are more prone to be like that and kind of conservative too. However, I do agree about this early conditioning you mentioned. As a parent I always encourage my kids to make friends and interact with the opposite sex. I believe this is a cultural thing amongst them Arabs. May be she did not realise what impact this can have on the young minds. At least you did.

I am not Arab, but I interact a lot of them from different arab countries. The only arab I have not met here are Comorians. Otherwise I have met them all (not to be taken literally).