Working in the Middle East

Overview

Our briefings are designed for employees doing business in specific Middle Eastern countries or the entire region.  We thoroughly review the Arabic people and their business culture and provide practical information on their countries.

Course Content

• Aims and Objectives: Setting the scene. Your friend Patience!
• Your First Arabic lesson: Arabic words, statistics and questions to ponder.
• Where and what of The Middle East: Some definitions: GCC, ME, Levant, Maghreb etc. The Arab World.
• Cultural Differences: Who do you think you are? Is yours the only way?  Arab (and other) behaviours/structures.  What formed you? What formed the Gulf Arab? What's normal, anyway?
• Islam and its effects:  Arab education, its effects and importance to Arab/Muslim life.  Common ground/ideals with other religions.  People of the Book. Successors (Caliphates). Suni/Shi’a and why it all matters so much. The power of Islam. How it affects your time with Arabs. Understanding the background of your Arab colleagues and clients. The effect on relationships. Arab rote learning. 'It's not my job to learn; it's your job to teach me!'
• Working with Arabs: What expatriates think of Arabs today. The Arab: Who is s/he?  Arab hopes, fears, attitudes, annoyances, problems, hospitality and heritage. Adapting to Arab 'Do's & Don'ts'. Understanding the coffee drill.
• Business practices: How it all works. What happens to someone new to Arabs.  Security - what to do.  Al-Qa’ida - how it works.  Radicalisation.  How Arabs see us; how we see Arabs. Why don’t moderate Arabs speak up more?
• Video: How (and how not) to do it! Business behaviour
• General conclusions: 11 September 01, Palestine, illegal invasion of Iraq, 11 July 05 London, Danish cartoons. UK silence on Lebanon.  Effect on relationships with Arab colleagues and clients.