The United Arab Emirates is one of the major global business center were new organizations can seek to expand. The culture and ways of the conducting commerce in this Arabian environment is distinct from other westernized nations (Hult & Hill, 2015). In this regard, it is important to learn business etiquette in the region before embarking on a business trip. The following are five important tips.
Language is one of the most critical factors to consider when making a trip to the UAE. Arabic is widely spoken and its citizens are well proud of their language. As a result, they expect their visitors have at least some working knowledge of the language (Boldou, 2014). A preferable interpreter may be used as an alternative. English, French, Russian, and Hindi are the next most widely spoken languages.
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The community identifies personal relationships between business partners as an important factor in encouraging future cooperation. Meetings and presentations are expected to be face-to-face which increases authenticity of the practice (Hult & Hill, 2015). The use of technology mediums like emails, social media, and phone calls may be too impersonal. Potential investers should take note that the working week is different from the western world as it runs from Sunday to Thursday and Saturday to Wednesday for public and private institutions respectively. Therefore, meetings should be confirmed within these days.
Hierarchy considerations are critical in the interactions with individuals from this country. A potential business partner or investor should acknowledge and greet the most senior person in the room first as per recommendations from the Muslim culture. The appropriate form of greeting even for non-muslims is ‘As-salamu Alaykum’ meaning ‘peace be upon you’ to which one responds with ‘wa alaykum as-salamu’ typically to mean ‘peace be upon you, too’ (Boldou, 2014).
Dressing is an important factor when interacting with the members of UAE. There are gender differences in how women and men dress with extreme modesty being the key emphasis in each case (Hult & Hill, 2015). Suit and tie is preferred as a professional wear for the men while women wear skirts with a hem below the knee for non-Muslims, though it is not necessary to wear a hijab.
Gift giving is an expected approach measure for improving relationships with the host, though the practice is not mandatory. A small token of for the host is depicted as an appreciation for the welcoming nature of the community (Hult & Hill, 2015). In this regard, it is important that the gift should have a meaningful touch by associating it with the hobbies, background, and interests of the host.
References
Boldou, J. (2014) Business Etiquette Around the World: United Arab Emirates . On Call International, Retrieved from https://blog.oncallinternational.com/business-etiquette-around-world-united-arab-emirates/
Hult, G. T. M. & Hill, C. W. L. (2015) Global Business Today . McGraw-Hill Education: New York.
