Business Etiquette

in UAE (United Arab

Emirates)
Presented by:
Piyush Sindhwani
Lalit Yadav
Monica Sharma
Himanshu Suman
Komal Sharma

Greeting & Meeting

Customary Greeting is As-Salam Alaikum (peace
be upon you) to which the reply is Wa alaikum AsSalam (and upon you be peace)
Handshakes can last a long time.
Acknowledge and greet the most senior person first.
Always use right hand.
Give special respect to older people in many
circumstances.
In terms of gift giving, something personal can be a
very meaningful touch.
Thank you is Shukran
Inshallah means God willing , a common response
when agreeing on a particular course of action.

Handshake

Greeting & Meeting

Men should avoid touching and prolonged eye contact with Muslim
women.
Punctuality is expected of Westerners even if it is not practiced
by locals.
Never show the bottom of ones shoes when sitting in a meeting
Meetings can be chaotic. Always be prepared to exercise patience.
Cell phone calls, emails or text messages are taken during
meetings and people may enter the meeting room unannounced
and proceed to discuss their own agenda.
Many people in the Middle East claim a more modest area of
personal space than is usual in the West. Accordingly, it can seem
rude for an individual to step away when another individual is
stepping closer.
While negotiating, they may be reluctant to agree if they are not
sure of the outcome.
Dont say NO directly, it can cause negative offense.

Attire for Women

The main item of business attire is the abaya, a long black

flowing robe similar to the thawb which covers the body
entirely from neck to ankles.
In addition to a veil, or boshiya, women also wear a head
scarf.
Any kind of formal footwear is appropriate.
Foreign women are free to wear traditional business
clothing.
For a business meeting it would be nice to wear a skirt suit
and the length should be well maintained.
It is best for women to carry a long handkerchief or a scarf
to cover your head.
It is good to have a long skirt in business fashion with
hemlines that are ankle length. The idea is to abide by their
image and customs.

Donts
The big things that you are going to have to be aware
of when you are dressing for business in Arab
countries is that you not show too much skin.
Shorts are not acceptable in most places and you are
also going to want to make sure that your arms are
covered at least to the elbows. This really should not
be an issue for a business person since the acceptable
dress is the same as it is in other places. You are going
to want to wear a suit while you are doing business in
the Arab world. Not all of the people you are dealing
with will wear a suit since they tend to wear more
traditional clothing but for foreign businessmen a suit
is the normal standard.
The Arab delegates will not be comfortable if you wear
a short dress or any kind of revealing clothes. This will
create a wrong impression that will be detrimental for

Attire for Men

The Kandura, ordishdash, as it is referred to by the
expats, is the long white cloak that male UAE Nationals
wear.
The Guthra is the headscarf sported by the males.
The Egal is the black rope that fixes the headscarf in
place.
Na-aalThese are essentially the sandals that are worn.
BishtThose in power can be seen wearing the bisht
which is similar to a jacket that is worn on top of the
kandura. Also, the bisht is worn during specical
occasions such as Eid or weddings, for example, and
also when visiting a Sheikh.

Business attire
Smart casual is fine for office wear.
Males are expected to wear long trousers.
A short or long-sleeved collared shirt is
considered standard in most cases.
A tie is commonplace, and expected in many jobs.
A jacket or suit may not be much in demand
(unless if visiting some high profile professionals).
Best is to check with your company.
Keeping in mind theclimate in UAE, it is best to
go in for natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, and
wool that suit many people better, than any sort
of artificial fabrics (including polyester).

Donts
Cycling shorts that reveal certain contours or boxer
shorts may result in warning from the authorities.
When visiting a Mosque, men are required to be dressed
in long trousers.
T-shirts with offensive slogans or pictures, gestures, or
obscene language that might cause religious or cultural
offence are not acceptablein UAE.
If caught wearing an offensive dress, and receiving a
warning, it is best to apologize and fix the offending item,
or at least fix it immediately.
However, on arguing with the concerned person, matters
may get worse, and police may be called.
On being caught in such a scenario, possibilities are one
month imprisonment, followed by deportation.

Business Etiquette
In the Middle East, doing business revolves
much more around personal relationships,
family ties, trust and honour.
The system works on the basis that favours
are reciprocated and never forgotten.
Initial meetings are all about relationshipbuilding, building trust and establishing
compatibility.
Age, money, and family connections are all
key determining factors of a persons status

 In conversation, it is always good to ask

about the health and well being of a
counterparts family. How many
children?
(Do not ask how many wives?)
What are the children doing?
Where have they studied or about to
study?
Taking interest in a counterparts family
is an important way of building early
trust and connection.

How do they Exchange Business

Card
The UAE is a country whose people respect
traditional Islamic roles and values while
operating within an increasingly cosmopolitan,
international culture.
Business cards in the UAE are typically
exchanged at the beginning of a meeting, it is
also acceptable to hand them out during a
night out or during a supermarket chat with a
neighbour or compatriot.
If you do intend to use business cards in the
UAE , ensure that information is printed in both
English and Arabic

Food Etiquette
Do not ask for pork or pork products.
When finished eating leave your utensils facing
upward in the middle of your plate.
If youre hosting dinner and are responsible for
the bill its expected that you tip 10 per cent over
and above the service charge.
If youre invited to dinner at a Muslim colleagues
home, be sure to remove your shoes at an
appropriate spot and set them aside in an orderly
fashion prior to entering.

 Always arrive on time and don't ever order

alcoholic beverages since most Muslims don't
drink.
Dinners are consumed using continental manners,
meaning their knife is in the right hand and the
fork in the left.
You should also never refuse food or an additional
helping during dinner as it is considered bad form.
You should always eat with your right hand only.