5.3 沙特阿拉伯商务礼仪在线视频

Hi everyone

Welcome to Intercultural

Business Tour

I am Gao Yang

from Dalian Maritime University

collaborating with Dalian University

of Foreign Languages

for this great lecture

Now let’s move on to the fun part

The intercultural business etiquette

In this part

we are going to talk about

the following etiquettes

that you should pay

strong attention to

while communicating

with Saudi Arabia’s

business men and women

Dining Manner

Business dress code

Communication

Business cards

Punctuality

Gift giving

Dining Manner

Saudi Arabians

are forbidden from eating pork

and drinking alcohol

under stringent restriction

of Islamic customs

Hence when you are dining

with Saudi business partners

lamb would be a proper choice

to serve as the common meat

It is considered

as polite behavior

for guests to accept

at least a small quantity of beverages

such as tea or coffee

which views

as a sign of friendship or esteem

In addition

in terms of serving drink

or eating for instance

taking food from communal dishes

use your right hand only

as the left hand is considered unclean

When you are invited

to a Saudi home

it is viewed as a compliment

not to eat up everything on your plate

Because it is a symbol of wealth

that Saudis can afford

to leave food behind

And it is also advisable

to leave shortly after dinner

Business dress code

Relatively speaking

the dress code in Saudi Arabia

is stricter than in other countries

One of the golden rules

of business etiquette

is that you should

follow business dress code

appropriately for business meetings

In line with the Islamic law

dress code for Arabs is modest

Therefore

when doing business with Saudis

you are required

to dress conservatively

and ensuring most parts of your body

are covered

Colors should remain conservativ

e and traditional

Wearing suits and ties

are required for men

who are in professional status

A jacket is not expected in summer

however

at least have it over your arms

Women should wear robes

As you may be invited

to take off your robe

during a meeting

a long-sleeved dress

and loose pants

or skirts down to the ankles

would be necessary

In addition

women must wear a hijab

at all times to have their

hair covered

Communication

Although Arabic is the official language

of Saudi Arabia

English is widely used

in the business world

and is a compulsory

second language in schools

So doing business in English

would not be a challenge

However

if you can learn a sentence

or two of Arabic

it will be a sign of respect

for the Arab culture

This will impress your partner

and prove

that you are willing

to work for a long-term

business relationship

Since Saudis are group-oriented

individual attention

should be avoided

when communicating with them

In other words

achieving group harmony

is considered as the top priority

rather than

singling out a specific person

In addition

being patient is of equal importance

It is not uncommon

for Saudis to take a while

before moving onto the main point

They may express their ideas

or opinions in a roundabout way

in order to avoid embarrassment

or offence

For example

while conversing with

your Saudi business partners

a small conversation

may range from your

personal information to weather

And it is highly recommended

to build a mutual understanding

by asking open-ended questions

that allow Saudis to reach the answe

r in their time

while providing

aggregable answer as they talk

As to the volume

differences exist

between Saudi men and women

To put it more specifically

Saudi men tend to speak loudly

with a rising tone

which implies strong engagemen

in communication instead of hostility

And Saudi women are quieter

and more reserved

It is suggested that

speaking volume and tone

should be adjusted appropriately

when doing business

with Saudi men and women

Business cards

Business cards are usually

exchanged in Saudi Arabian

business scenarios

but not a must

Make sure your business card

has English on one side

and Arabic on the other

because not all Saudis

are confident in their English

Handing over or receiving

a business card must be done

with the right hand

as the left hand is considered

unclean and should not be thrown

to your interlocutor if you are

across a large table

When receiving someone’s

business card study it

before putting it away or placing it

on the table in front of you

Punctuality

The concept of time

in Saudi Arabia

is massively different from that

in many Western cultures

The Saudis are frequently unpunctual

as timing is not an issue for them

However

when doing business with the Saudis

showing up on time

would be a proper way

In addition

it would be

highly valued and appreciated

by your Saudi business partners

you’re meeting with

if you arrive a little earlier

Sometimes

you may be scheduled

to wait outside the conference room

for a period of time

Gift giving

Gift giving in Saudi

is appreciated but not required

Gifts are usually given

only to close friends

Normally extravagant

or expensive gifts

should be avoided for Saudis

which can be embarrassing for them

especially in front of others

In addition

alcohol pork knives pigskin

sculpture and perfume with alcohol

are not allowed as gifts to the Saudis

That’s pretty much

what we have covered

for Saudi Arabia

Thank you for watching

See you in the next chapter