LyLDLStarting a business in Qatar

Business etiquette for Arab countries

The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to business etiquette when you are in the Arab world is that you have to respect the fact that you are in a Muslim country. There are certain things that should be obvious like not offering people alcohol or serving pork for a meal. However you also have to make sure that you a respect the fact that work stops for prayer several times during the day. In addition there are a number of important festivals and holidays that will affect the way business is done.

The other big thing that you have to make sure that you understand is the concept of face in the Muslim world. It is not acceptable for Muslims to criticize somebody in public as a result they will seem to agree with something that you are saying even when they don't. It should be clear from their body language and the context of what they have said whether they actually agree or not but a lot of Westerners have trouble picking up on this. The result is that there can often be situations in which you think you have an agreement when you don't. Under no circumstances can you allow a Muslim to lose face so make sure that you do not publicly criticize with somebody or disagree with them.

In the Muslim world you will find that physical contact is a lot more common than it is in the west, you will also notice that they tend to show less respect for your personal space. Muslims will freely touch your arm or shoulder when they talk to you and they will also stand a lot closer during conversations than we would in the west. This can make some people uncomfortable but it is part of the culture.

During business meetings in the Muslim world you will likely find that there is a lot more socializing than you are used to. In the west meetings tend to get straight to the point. In the Muslim world a personal relationship is an important part of business so there will tend to be a lot more of this kind of talk during meetings. If you want to succeed at doing business in the Muslim world you are going to have to do this yourself in order to build up the necessary relationships.

Business people in the Arab world are normally expected to wear a suit at all times. Things tend to be more formal than in the west. There are exceptions when it comes to traditional dress but for western business people a suit is almost always required. This can be a bit of an issue since it can get very hot but it is the expected dress if you are doing business in the Arab world.