Inside the United Arab Emirates business world

First of all, recognize that Muslims pray five times a day:  at dawn (4:30-5:00 a.m.), around noon, in the afternoon between 2:00 and 4:00, at sunset, and one hour after sunset (never later than 9:00 p.m.).  At prayer time everything stops. Plan your schedule around prayer times. Meetings should not be made too far in advance as changes in personal circumstances may impact your appointment. Once an appointment has been made, confirm it verbally with the person you will meet a few days before. Initial meetings are all about relationship building. Building trust and establishing compatibility are key requisites for doing business in the Middle East. One should engage in conversation and try to get to know the 'person' you are doing business with.

 

Handshakes are always used and can last a long time. Islamic etiquette recommends that one waits for the other to withdraw their hand first before doing the same. Always use the right hand. Do not be surprised if your hand is held while you are led somewhere. Holding hands among men is common and does not carry the same connotations as it does in the West.

People is generally addressed by the first name. John Smith will be addressed as Mr. John. Arab titles of note are: Sheikh (an old man, scholar, and leader), Sayyid (descendant of the Prophet Muhammad) and Hajji (one who has performed the pilgrimage).

Punctuality is expected from foreigners. Although the Arabs place a high emphasis on punctuality they rarely practice it themselves.

 

 

 

Business runs in a very different track as in the Western culture. The Arabs do not separate professional and personal life. Doing business revolves much more around personal relationships, family ties, trust and honor. There is a tendency to prioritize personal matters above all else. It is therefore crucial that business relationships are built on mutual friendship and trust.

 

 

 

 

The Middle Eastern culture places more value on someone's word as opposed to a written agreement. A person's word is connected to their honor. Contracts are viewed as memorandums of understanding rather than binding, fixed agreements. Be sure to promise only things you can deliver. Failure to do so will result in loss of honor.

 

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Arabic is the official language of the UAE. However, English is the language of business and of everyday life, especially in the three larger Emirates. Most common is ‘Indian English’ which has differences in syntax and a variety of accents. It uses words that are unfamiliar to other English speakers and which sound old-fashioned.

In the UAE, a polite, flowery, somewhat indirect communication style is favored over a blunt, direct style, especially when speaking with Emiratis and people from Middle East countries.

Small talk is very important. Not only is it considered to be polite, but it helps Emiratis to get to know you and to gauge how familiar you may be with the etiquette and protocols of the region.

Do not be surprised if you receive a lot of ‘yes’ answers, especially from people in a subordinate position. It is also important to read between the lines and work out whether someone is saying ‘no’ through coded language or indirect means. For example, saying ‘that might take some time’, ‘that could be difficult’, ‘let me check’ might mean no. Silence or changing the topic of conversation are also ways to say no indirectly. 

The best way to communicate with people in the UAE is face to face. If this is not practical, most Emirati based business people prefer the telephone. Ensure that you have your business associates’ mobile phone number, which will be on their business card. Emails are not been the main form of communication, but can be a good follow-up to summarize a conversation. Most business is done verbally, although this is changing amongst younger Emiratis. Western orientated office use emails and other technology such as video conferencing more often.

 

After going through these information, we invite you to test yourself by doing a brief quiz. Hope you enjoy it!