Yemen: First Name or Title?

From ExecutivePlanet.com

Addressing others with respect

The use of first names denotes more familiarity than in the west and there is no real equivalent to Mister. The noble title “Sayyed” denotes a Hashemite and should always be used [before the first name] for those entitled to it. The easiest way to offend a Hashemite is to fail overtly to recognise him as such.

“Bin” [or ben or ibn], preceding a name, particularly a middle name, means “son of”. “Bint” [daughter of] is the female form.

The perfect level of friendliness without undue familiarity is achieved by the use of the kunya. A man becomes known to his friends as “Abu” [father of], followed by the name of his [usually eldest] son. It is quite acceptable to ask a mutual acquaintance if you don't know a man's kunya. Somewhat less common is the female equivalent “Umm” [mother of].

The titles Doctor, Mohandas [engineer], Ustadh [professor] and, less commonly Shaikh [chief] are used, as on the Continent or Europe, in both the literal and honorific senses. “Shaikh” should always be used the same as a knighthood in English--applied only to the first name, never the surname.

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