United Arab Emirates🕣
State in the northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf, in southwest Asia. Official name – the United Arab Emirates. Population – 10.1 million (as of 2020). Capital – Abu Dhabi. Official language – Arabic. Type of state structure – federal state consisting of 7 emirates (absolute monarchies) with special powers delegated to the federation. Main religion – Islam.
United Arab Emirates
Greeting
The Emirates is a multi-ethnic country, so you can see different forms of greeting. However, in a business environment, the traditional form of greeting is the handshake, which is usually exchanged by men.
Body contact between the sexes is not accepted due to Muslim traditions, which are strong in this state. Foreign women should wait for a man to take the initiative before extending their hand for a greeting.
Sometimes, as a sign of greeting a woman, a man puts his hand on his chest in the area of the heart and tilts his head slightly while smiling at the woman. This is an alternative (non-contact) form of greeting a woman in a business and social environment.
In this Arab country, it is customary to greet elders in age and position first. Handshake, especially at the initial contact, should not be strong and vigorous, but at the same time long-lasting enough and without shaking.
The whole greeting procedure among locals seems to be generally quite formal and rather lengthy. In addition to shaking hands, speakers may put their hands around each other's elbow or shoulder, kiss each other on the cheek (a light touch of cheek to cheek), and even touch each other with the tip of their noses ("the so-called nose greeting"). The latter is only possible between close friends.
During greetings, as well as during any business conversation, it is important to maintain eye contact with your interlocutor. This applies only to communication between men. If a woman is involved in the conversation, the man should not meet her gaze, stare at her, or compliment her on her appearance or clothing.
Foreigners should not copy the manners of their UAE counterparts and replicate traditional Arab greetings. Close business and even friendly relations should be established first.
Introduction
In official, formal, and business situations, especially at the beginning, the accepted form of address is Mr followed by the first name (not the surname) of the person, e.g. Mr Ahmed. The same applies to a woman: Mrs Haya.
Any titles, ranks and degrees are important in the Emirates. When meeting a high-level government official, use Your Excellency. If for s...
Exchange of Business Cards
In UAE business practice, people usually exchange business cards during introductions at the beginning of the first meeting after the greeting.
The text of the business card, at least on one of its sides, should be in Arabic. This side should be the face side when you hand it to your partner.
If you know in advance that your partners speak English, there is no need for Arabic t...
Small Talk: Overview
A business meeting starts with small talk which is very important for Arab businesspeople because they want to get to know their potential partner better, as relationship building is at the heart of any business. These conversations build a sense of trust between partners – a very important category in the Arab world.
Never rush through small talk in an attempt to move on to business ma...
Preferred Topics
Positive impressions or complimentary remarks about emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and others), as well as landmarks, buildings, and structures.
Positive statements about the UAE's achievements, compliments to the government of the country, and international recognition of the Emirates will be well received by the Arab interlocutor.
Sports, especially local football teams.
Taboo Topics
Controversial topics, especially political statements, should be avoided in small talk.
Religion and anything related to Islam is a sensitive topic and should be avoided.
Don’t ask personal questions during the first meeting, such as about your Arab partner's family or children.
Under no circumstances should you ask your Emirati colleague questions about his wife, even, ...
Personal Space
In this Arab culture, the distance of comfortable conversation varies depending on the gender of the participants. Men stand quite close to each other during a conversation, but this distance increases significantly when a woman joins the meeting.
UAE residents actively use body language during communication. Physical touches, including long handshakes, putting their arms around the el...
Communication Specifics
This Arab state is characterised by an extraordinary cultural diversity. In business situations, it is possible to meet people with different cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs and educational levels. It is important to be careful with your speech and avoid any comments of an evaluative nature so as not to accidentally hurt somebody’s feelings.
Arab culture values emotional and ex...
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