5.4 沙特阿拉伯商务实践在线视频

In Saudi Arabia

it is customary

to take off your shoes

before entering a carpeted room

This is often the case

in business settings

If you’re in doubt

follow your Saudi

business partners’ lead

When entering into the meeting

stand at a reasonable distance

and maintain eye contact

while shaking hands

individually with the Saudis

to greet them

It’s preferable

to shake hands with each one

However

it is generally uncommon

to shake hands with women

so it is advisable

for women in business

to wait for men

to extend their hands

before performing the salute

Moreover

shake right hands only at the beginning

and the end of any business meeting

Initial business talks

help you to bridge the gap

between your potential

Saudi business partners

and your company

It would be better

to have some small talkS

that are closely related

to your personal information

for example health family

Try to be patient

and give answers

for improving business relationships

as the small talk

is all about earning trust

Meanwhile

show your personal interest

by asking the Saudis similar questions

Questions about female dependents

of Saudi men

however

are extremely inappropriate

and should be avoided

Additionally

you should wait to talk about business

until your Saudi partners brings it up

The first business meeting

is generally longer

and serves as a key factor

for good business

therefore

plenty of time for greetings

and salutations

should be allocated properly for it

Structure and hierarchy

in Saudi Arabian companies

Businesses in Saudi Arabia

are hierarchical

on the basis of position and age

In Saudi Arabian companies

there is a clear dichotomy

between subordinates

and managers

The person with the most power

is expected

and accepted to give complete

and specific instructions to others

The decision is made by the manager

after many discussions

or debate with key stakeholders

Once a decision is made

it is left to the subordinates

to implement it

Moreover while working with the Saudis

it is suggested

to emphasize

the importance of agreed deadlines

Age also plays an essential role

in business under the influence Islam

To this end

heightened respect

should be shown to elder members

of the company at all times

even if they rank in lower levels

within the company

For example

when attending a meeting

with your Saudi business partner

shake hands

with the oldest person first

Work Hours

Friday and Saturday

are weekend in Saudi Arabia

Friday is the holy day

when Muslims

participate in mosque events

meaning that most offices

are closed on Friday

Muslims pray five times a day

though as foreigners

you are not supposed to attend

It means that

business events

and other meetings

would be stopped for prayer

Compared with other countries

in the Gulf Cooperation Council

there are only few holidays

in Saudi Arabia

for instance

Saudi National Day

September 23rd

and the Feast

of the End of Ramadan

The Islamic calendar

has 12 months

in a year of 355 days

which is about 11 days

shorter than a solar

or Gregorian calendar

In other words

Ramadan has no fixed time

in the Gregorian calendar

During the month of Ramadan

from September to October

business slows down

and offices are generally closed early

In addition

Muslims abstain

from eating drinking and smoking

from dawn to dusk

Appointment Culture

Making appointments

for business meetings

in Saudi Arabia are necessary

All appointments

are to avoid five daily prayer times

and religious holidays

such as Ramadan and Hajj

which are suspended

if interrupted

Therefore

it is advisable to make an appointment

before the noon prayer in the morning

or after lunch

Meeting Culture

In Saudi Arabia

business meetings

are conducted

at a leisurely pace

with participants

enjoying discussions

over coffee and tea

Saudi business executives

like to feel comfortable

with their business partners

before reaching an agreement

Meetings normally begin with

substantial amount of small talks

and seem like a series of appointments

where people are becoming acquainted

Although no substantive business issues

will be discussed

during a number of initial meetings

these meetings

are as important

as later stage negotiations

Moreover

the proceedings of business meeting

in Saudi Arabia are usually

not well-organized

That is to say

no formal agendas

or designated chairman

would be chosen

For example

some people may interrupt the meeting

to talk to other party

to talk to other party

be patient if this occurs

and wait for them to leave

before continuing

the previous conversation

In addition

Saudis are expected

to be addressed by their titles

that related to their position

and professional

For example

Mr or Mrs

Uncle or Aunt

Doctor or Professor

Sometimes

it is polite

to wait until the invitation to do so

Business Negotiation

When conducting business negotiations

in Saudi Arabia

you should remain calm

and avoid losing temper

Basically

there is a lack of urgency

in business negotiations

Decisions are always slow to come

and sometimes

can be easily overturned

To ensure successful negotiations

avoiding compelling your Saudi partners

or showing sign of impatience

during negotiation process

Exerting pressure

seen as disrespectful and embarrassing

may enforce your Saudi partners

to agree to a commitment

they do not intend to keep

Therefore

it would be appropriate

to allow them to make their own decisions

and accept compromise

Sometimes compromising

a little in the interest of your company

would promote the establishment

of relationships

for the long run with your

Saudi business partners

During business negotiations

you should keep the main part of

your speech short

and back it up with key points

and charts

It would be helpful

to show your confidence

by repeating your main points firmly

Provide as much concrete evidence

as possible to support your claim

Accurate statistics

which may prove

the value of a business venture

are acceptable

and convincible to Saudis

However

hyperbole and flashy tricks

should be avoided

In addition

it’s advisable

to translate your documents

into Arabic

and use well-made material

as the Saudis are very brand conscious

As mentioned above

Saudis are frequent user

of body language

and eye contact

rather than direct speech

Therefore

instead of correcting someone

publicly in front of others

adopting an indirect approach

to all corrective statements

may refrain from offense

or embarrassment

People may agree on contracts

and stick to them on mutual trust

Make sure

that you understand

what your Saudi partners mean

as they prefer

to keep word-of-mouth promises

And it is strongly advisable

to sign written contracts with them

Working Relationships

Building trust

is an essential part

of Saudi business culture

For them

trust is beneficial

for good business

and they constantly

strive for a commitment

to the relationship from you

The top priority for them

is to widen social networks

with business partners

they may depend on

Therefore

cultivating strong business relationships

before moving into a business transaction

is the key to your success

Respect and friendship

are the values that Arabs hold very dear

In a business environment

mutual benefit and trust

are ways to reinforce

these cultural values

Because of the strong personal attribute

of business in Saudi Arabia

family and interpersonal relationships

may affect the business

outcomes largely

rather than other management factors