Are you planning to visit or do business with an Arab company? Here are some tips on Arab business and culture for international visitors, exporters and traders to understand the culture, business culture and how to do business with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen and other Middle East. countries.
conservative behavior: In public, Arabs behave conservatively. The demonstration of affection between the spouses is non-existent. It is a private society and the display of one’s feelings is kept private. He will also notice that laughter and jokes in public are toned down, which is not the case in private gatherings. Arguments between spouses, friends, and people in general are also kept private or conducted in a way that ensures no one else is the wiser.
invitations: If you are invited to dinner or lunch, you are not expected to bring food, drinks or gifts. As you enter the house, notice the guest room you are led into. If other guests left shoes and sandals at the door, please remove your shoes. Upon entering a guest’s room or office, it is customary to greet everyone by saying Alsalamo-Alikom, which means “peace be upon you.” The response to this greeting is “Wa’alikom Alsalam”. Once inside, everyone will stand up to greet you and shake your hand. Start with the person who is standing to your right or the one closest to you. Note that in both modern and traditional Arabian rooms, attendants sit in a circle to ensure that no one has their back to another person. Also keep in mind that the soles of your feet should not point directly at another person. Always use your right hand when giving or receiving objects.
Save face concept: The Arab culture is a non-confrontational culture that seeks as little conflict as possible. A concept called “saving face” is a way to resolve conflicts and avoid embarrassing or embarrassing the parties involved. Saving someone’s face or dignity involves using maneuvers or containing one’s reactions to give the other party a way out of the situation with minimal discomfort or damage to their dignity. It implies commitment, patience and sensitivity. The concept of “saving face” is considered high quality ethics and manners behavior. Arab culture encourages people to act with humility and sensitivity towards a person’s dignity, especially when that person’s dignity and self-respect are in jeopardy. This is crucial advice for those who may be involved in running a business in an Arab country.
Familiar structure: In an Arab family, gender and age play an important role in deciding responsibilities. The father is usually the head of the family and the provider of its needs, while the mother plays an important role in raising the children and taking care of the house. Although culture, traditions and Islam strongly emphasize the importance of the role of women in housekeeping and child rearing, it is a mistake to think that Arab women are confined to this role. Before Islam, there were many successful Arab businesswomen and they still exist throughout the Arab region, but for cultural reasons, they conduct business discreetly. A daughter lives in her family’s house as long as she is not married. Children can move into their own homes when they marry, but at least one child will continue to live in the family home, even if he is married, to care for the parents. When a woman marries, no changes are made to any part of her name.
Business meetings with Arab companies: Sometimes when trying to set up meeting dates with your Arab clients, you’ll find that their response is something like “When you’re in the area, give us a call.” Don’t take this as a sign of a lack of interest in your business. It is the same as a response that sets a specific date and time. Please allow enough time to social chat with your Arab clients before opening any business discussion.
Advertising and Marketing to the Arab Market: Your commercial advertising should be conservative in content and appearance and not present social values or situations that contradict Arab culture or Islam. In almost all Arab countries, advertising must not directly or explicitly contain a comparison between two different brands for the same type of products. The message should put more emphasis on the quality and functionality of the product. The main sources of advertising are newspapers, magazines and television.
