Tips for doing business in the Middle East

Cross-cultural communication

Islamic culture can influence every part of daily life, with an emphasis in relationships on honour and trust. A spoken agreement is often of more value than a written contract, and personal and business contacts intertwine. Negotiations may take some time, so patience is key.

Although Arabs themselves are often late for appointments, people from the West are expected to be punctual. As traffic can be very heavy in big cities, it is important to take that into consideration when choosing a hotel location.

Personal life and business are not separate worlds in the Middle East, so there are many family businesses and family members are always trusted. Business contacts are necessary for getting things done – that is the part of Arab culture called ‘wasta’, meaning connections.

Before you start

Before a company starts doing business in the Middle East, it is important to take the following into account:

1. You will need to learn about the region’s religions and cultures. The dominant religions in the Middle East are Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Although religion is very important, talking about religious or political issues is not advisable.
2. When you shake someone’s right hand, you should make eye contact. Shaking hands is very important in the business community. People shake hands when they meet and when they leave. Your hand may be held for longer than you are used to. Make sure you wait until the other person removes their hand first.
3. Work and personal life tend to be kept separate in the West, but this is not the case in the Middle East. When you do business there, it is important to build trust in personal conversations, remembering that family and loyalty are extremely important.
4. Most agreements are spoken. When someone makes a promise, he or she will keep it. Otherwise their honour is at stake.
5. During the first meeting, you will need to gain the trust of the other person. So it is important to invest time in getting to know each other better.

Avoiding religious holidays

Because the Islam is an all-encompassing religion, you need to be aware of the most important religious festivals. Ramadan, for example, is not the right time to do business as it affects daily life. Two important moments in the religious calendar are Eid al-Fitr (also known as sugar feast) and Eid al-Adha (feast of the sacrifice).

Important tips

• Do not eat pork or drink any alcohol in the company of Muslims, especially during Ramadan.
• Do not eat, drink or smoke in public during Ramadan.
• Do not show the soles of your feet or your shoes when you are sitting down as this is considered unclean and impolite.
• People are very hospitable and will always offer you food and drink – you should accept their hospitality.
• Use your right hand to eat and drink.
• Avoid any discussion about politics and religion.
• Do not ask a Muslim about their wife or daughters, but enquire in general about their family.
• In the Gulf states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates) Friday is a day of rest, while in North Africa it is a working day. In some countries, but not all, shops are closed during prayer times.
• Avoid phoning business contacts on a Friday. You can phone people very late in the day, but don’t expect to receive any responses before 10 a.m.
• As Arabic is written from right to left, it is useful to put your logo on the right-hand side of a presentation. Make business cards that are Arabic on one side and English on the other. Most people in the Middle East speak English well.

Be patient

It will take time to build a relationship and achieve something – at least three to five years may be necessary. Some countries have very strict requirements in place to discourage import.