United Arab Emirates: Let's Make a Deal! - Part 1
From ExecutivePlanet.com
What you should know before negotiating
Greetings and Negotiating Etiquette
The UAE encourages foreign enterprise. Generally, one need only satisfy financial criteria to open a business there, with the result that most businesses are foreign owned and run. Etiquette may therefore vary according to nationality but the following guidelines apply when dealing with people from anywhere in Arabia:
The standard greeting is 'As-salam alaikum,' [peace be upon you] to which the standard reply is 'Wa alaikum as-salam,' [and upon you be peace]. On arrival at the reception room, the visitor should stand in the doorway and utter the former of these phrases. Only after receiving the reply is he entitled to enter. In the event of no reply, he may repeat the greeting but continued failure to reply means that he is not welcome.
If the room is carpeted, the visitor should remove his shoes and leave them outside to avoid bringing in impurities and thereby rendering the carpet ritually unclean for prayer. Once inside the room, he should shake hands with the most senior person first [usually but not invariably the host]. Then, he should make his way around the room in an anti-clockwise direction, shaking hands with each person in turn before taking his seat and joining in the conversation.
The visitor should not change the subject of conversation except by logical opportunity or invitation. If there are more than fifty or so people in the room or if the seating is inconvenient, there may be consensus permission for him merely to shake hands with the host and wave a greeting to the others.
Once seated, crossing legs is perfectly acceptable, provided one does not direct the sole of the foot to an individual, which is a 'go away' gesture.
Business Cards and Promotional Literature
Business cards are common but not essential. If used they should be in Arabic. Common practice is to have English and Arabic printed one on each side [this way, neither language is perceived as less important by being on the reverse] of the same card. If one prefers the elegance of an engraved card, however, it is equally acceptable to have both languages on the same side or a separate card for each language.
Brochures and other promotional literature should always be printed in Arabic, either with or without an English translation.
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