Wrecking a potentially lucrative deal with a misjudged handshake is just one of many pitfalls facing the unwary western businessman or woman in the UAE - even without a global slowdown to make etiquette errors more expensive.
As a result, westerners are increasingly signing up for Arabic business courses to maximise their chances of wooing clients in the UAE.
The idea of teaching Arabic culture to westerners is not new, but in the present tough trading environment, companies are keen to make every effort to impress potential investors.
Soaring business activity between the UAE and the West in recent years has seen the establishment of several companies offering "culture courses" designed to arm newly-arrived executives with an understanding of Emirati culture and a checklist of dos and don'ts to ensure that their deals run smoothly.
Revealing clothing, stumbles over names and offering handshakes to the wrong people or in the wrong order can all sabotage an otherwise faultless first impression, according to Communicaid, one of the world's largest culture course providers.
"In the past, a lot of business people made a lot of mistakes and it has meant the difference between contracts being won or lost," said Donna Marsh, a tutor in Arabic culture with Communicaid. "Companies have learnt their lesson and don't want to repeat the mistakes of the past, certainly not in the current economic climate."
The company runs a programme called "Doing Business in the UAE", which provides an overview of the importance of Islam, family and hospitality in the structure of Emirati society, as well as modules on working practices.
"The purpose of the course is to provide a smooth transition for Western business people who are going to be working in the UAE," said Cora Malinak, a culture and communications adviser at Communicaid.
"We aim to help people understand the different attitudes and values of people in the Middle East.
"We give a rundown on the politics and economy of the country and the impact of Islam on society.
"Business can be conducted in very different ways in the West and the Arab world. There can be a huge amount of misunderstanding, simply through a lack of knowledge.
"That is where we come in.
"A deal can easily fall through because someone simply misunderstands basic Arabic meeting etiquette, such as a man trying to shake the hand of an Arabic businesswoman."
Ms Marsh added: "Successful business in the UAE relies on good relationships. The key to building strong relationships is integrity.
"Arabs prize trust very highly in business dealings. Westerners will often have to spend a great deal of time establishing trust with Arab business counterparts, but once that level of trust is there, business can move forward pretty fast."
In Dubai, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding also operates awareness courses to help new arrivals to acclimatise.
The centre aims to "bring down barriers between people of different nationalities, and to help understand the traditions, customs and religion of the UAE".
Participants are taught everything from UAE history and the role of Islam and family to the difference between Arabic and western negotiation strategies.
According to Communicaid, Emirati companies often follow a more traditional "top-down" business model, with one powerful person making all the key decisions.
The company added that UAE executives preferred to do business with people they knew, so a personal recommendation could prove invaluable, and face-to-face discussion was always preferred to telephone calls.
Minesh Patel, 27, a lawyer from London who moved to the UAE six months ago, took part in a cultural awareness programme arranged by his firm, Allen & Overy LLP.
"It was really helpful in terms of understanding the working practices and cultural differences," he said.
"The part dealing with etiquette in business meetings was the most useful bit."
Henry Bremridge, 28, a banking executive originally from Winchester and who is now based in Dubai, completed an online cultural awareness course before leaving Britain.
"There are some significant cultural differences between the way things are done in the UK and here," he said.
"I thought the course was a really good idea and particularly valuable for people who are interacting a lot with UAE business people and clients.
"If you are going to spend a lot of time meeting Emirati clients it is extremely important.
"Relationship building is a key element of doing business here and it is particularly important in the current economic climate."
Another lawyer from London, Georgina Smee, 27, who also works in Dubai, said the course had helped her conduct business in the UAE.
"If you are told in advance that people will answer their phones in the middle of a business meeting and it is not meant to be rude, it stops any misunderstanding."
chamilton@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Company%20Profile
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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If you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Chicago from Dh5,215 return including taxes.
The hotels
Recommended hotels include the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, located in an iconic skyscraper complete with a 1929 Olympic-size swimming pool from US$299 (Dh1,100) per night including taxes, and the Omni Chicago Hotel, an excellent value downtown address with elegant art deco furnishings and an excellent in-house restaurant. Rooms from US$239 (Dh877) per night including taxes.
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
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Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
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