Do not be surprised when you see men holding hands. It’s a sign of family affection/friendship.
Don't dress provocatively when walking outdoors.
Don't panic if an acquaintance "pecks" you on the cheeks when greeting you, as Arabs have traditionally kissed each other on both cheeks as a warm gesture of welcome and affection.
Don't feel uncomfortable if your host insists on "overfeeding" you during a meal because they are happy that you like the meal and enjoy it, as Arabs traditionally view food as an important symbol of hospitality, generosity, and good will – the more the better!
Cultural customs you might misinterpret
The Arab “yes,” really means “I am listening, proceed” or "it’s a possibility.” Westerners interpret "yes" as "okay” or “please carry on.” The Arab feedback comes upon the conclusion of the discussion.
Negotiating a deal can take a very long time, as the notion of punctuality holds little meaning. The substance or end-product is the aim. You will hear the following phrases:
InShallah and Bukra respectively mean "God willing" and "tomorrow. In America, the deal has to take place on the spot because “Time is money.”. This is considered pushy and pretentious because the deal will only be closed if God decides so.
Thus, avoid the stereotype that Arabs like to postpone deals. Arabs pay attention to reliability and to long term relationships not to single deals.
The fear of communicating the wrong message
Sometimes Arabs find it difficult to admit that they are wrong or might not know something.
Many deals are lost out of fear of communicating the wrong message or being mistaken. One can wait several months before receiving a reply to an e-mail or fax regarding an inquiry.
nonverbal communication
Use hands a lot when talking, invading one’s personal space, or being touchy-feely;
Arab men greet each other and kiss on the cheek, hold hands while walking in the street, dance together;
Arab women are affectionate, use extended greetings and kisses to display respect toward family members; no contact with outsiders to their immediate family;
Nod consistently to show interest in the discussion and/or their agreement; they keep listening by interjecting saying “sahiih = true; Tab’an = naturally; mash ma’quul = not possible; ayb = it’s bad; maa dhanbak = it’s not your fault; ghayr mumkin ‘alaa Tuul = not OK at all”;
If they disagree with you, they move their heads left to right to show disapproval;
Non-verbal communication etiquette.
When engaged in conversation, Arabs, in general, tend to stand much closer to one another than Americans, North Europeans, and East Asians do. Their conversational distance is more similar to that of Latin Americans and Southern Europeans.
Arabs will also employ some body contact to emphasize a point or confirm that they have your attention. It is important not to move back, however. This may be interpreted as a rebuff or rejection of what is being said.
Respect is a value that is held very highly by the Arab people, and this shows in both business and social settings. Note that Arabs are poets and romantic.
Speech
Speech is indirect. It is like" talking in circles.” During and before negotiations, expect to be asked many questions about your personal life, family, and background.
Are warm, hospitable people and like to get to know you, your background before committing to a deal.
Business executives and officials may be reluctant to schedule an appointment. Business visitors should inform their hosts of their travel plans and agenda, but may have better success scheduling a specific meeting once they are in the country.
The religious holidays of Ramadan and Hajj and the daily prayer breaks should also be taken into consideration when scheduling business meetings
The “save face” concept in doing business
The Arab culture is a non-confrontational one which seeks the least conflict possible. A concept called "save face" is a way to solve conflicts and avoid embarrassing or discomforting the parties involved. Saving someone's face or dignity involves using maneuvers or holding one's reactions to give the other party a way to exit the situation with minimal discomfort or harm to their dignity.
It involves compromise, patience, and sometimes looking the other way to allow things time to get back to normal. The "save face" concept is looked at as a behavior of high quality ethics and manners.
The Arab culture encourages people to act humbly and with sensitivity to a person's dignity, especially when that person's dignity and self respect is endangered.
This concept of sensitivity is not limited to extreme situations only. For example, when someone is pressuring an Arab official into committing himself to a matter that is not of interest or beyond his capability, he might indirectly refuse the matter by offering to study the subject, which might be interpreted as a yes answer.
There is no separation between you as a person and the institution you represent.
Business is not only business, it is the whole reputation of the family and the group.
Misconceptions
Misconceptions and preconceptions are rampant, the most common one being that manner of making business deals is the same for all Arab countries.
One must not forget that each country has its own local culture, customs, contemporary history and traditions.
There are a non-Arab population (Berbers) and Christian Arabs.
The business lunch
Business lunches and discussing ideas over numerous cups of tea or Arabic coffee are commonplace.
Business Meeting
Meetings are conducted at a leisurely pace, with the parties involved enjoying cordial discussion over coffee and tea where offer and counteroffers are made.
Proper attire at business meetings is essential, as it is a sign of respect for the person with whom you are meeting. Conservative business suits are recommended.
Business cards exchanged are usually printed in English on one side and Arabic on the other.
Business/gender
Doing business in some Arab/and/or Muslim countries is more challenging for women.
There is gender separation in countries like Saudi Arabia. Many public places, like hotels and restaurants, will have family rooms where women are served with their husbands.
Women are expected to dress conservatively, with long skirts most appropriate, sleeves at elbow length or longer, and necklines that are unrevealing.
It is generally uncommon for a Muslim man to shake hands with a woman or engage in the conversational body contact that is common when speaking to another man, although in some countries men who have experience with Western culture may be inclined to do so.
Business/Gender
Great emphasis is placed on societal traditions and customs.
Men are not used to negotiating with or being given orders by a woman.
Society is patriarchal
Arab men like to be seen as the breadwinner in the family and do not like women who are too independent and strong minded.
FAQs
What is that pipe I sometimes see people smoking? It is a water pipe that filters and cools tobacco smoke, which often is flavored with apple, honey, strawberry, mint, mango or apricot. Such pipes are used in several parts of the world and are not an exclusively Arab apparatus. They are known by several names, including sheesha, hookah and argilah, or argeelah.
FAQs
What is that charm with the eye or an eye on a hand? Often worn as jewelry, the khamsa is a non-religious symbol for protection or good luck also called the hand of Fatima [this hand represents the five pillars of Islam Shahadah or Testimony, Salaat or Prayers; Ramadan or Fasting; Zakat or Charity; Hajj or Pilgrimage to Mecca if possible]. The eye, usually blue when colored, wards off the evil eye or evil spirits. For example, the charm may be put on a baby to protect the child from harm. This cultural tradition is shared by many people of different religions.
FAQs
What does the title Umm or Abu mean as part of a name?
It is a common way of calling someone using their oldest son's name to avoid mentioning the name of the mother in public places.
Umm Nouri means mother of Nouri.
Abu Nouri means father of Nouri. "Umm Muhammad" is "mother of Muhammad." This is what friends might call her, as a sign of respect.
FAQs
Is it Muslim or Moslem?
Muslim.
Who is a sheik? A sheik can be the leader of a family, a village, a tribe, a mosque or a mayor. Press accounts popularized the term "oil-rich sheik." This contributed to the misconception that the people who became wealthy from oil were sheiks, and that sheiks had oil money. Neither is true.
FAQs
Arab, Arabic or Arabian?
Arab is a noun for a person, and is used as an adjective, as in "Arab country”.
Allughah Al-Arabiyah = the Arabic language [in English the noun is dropped] is the name of the language and generally used as an adjective grammatically speaking.
Arabian is an adjective that refers to Saudi Arabia, the Arabian Peninsula, or as in Arabian horse. When ethnicity or nationality are relevant, it is more precise and accurate to specify the country by using Lebanese, Yemeni...
We suggest that you hyphenate when using Arab-American as an adjective, as in Arab-American issues, but do not hyphenate when saying that someone is an Arab American.
English words derived from the Arabic language
The English language borrowed hundreds of words from the Arabic language, just as it absorbed numerous words from German, French, Latin and Greek.
Most of the Arabic words have to do with the fields of mathematics and the sciences, but also include many familiar words in everyday use. Often these words entered English indirectly through Spanish and French, sometimes through Italian.
Listed below are a few words with their Arabic origins and meanings. Note: that "al" is the Arabic word for "the"1. Admiral = amir al (ruler of; originally "amir al-bahr," ruler of the sea) 2. Alchemy = alkimia (from Greek "chemia," a pouring together) 3. Alcohol = al kohl (powder of antimony, used to color the eyebrows) 4. Alcove = al-qobbah (vault, arch, dome) 5. Aldebaran = al-debaran ("the following," from debar, "to follow"; a star in the constellation Taurus) 6. Alembic = alanbiq (a chemical apparatus formerly used in distillation, from Persian "ambiq," a still, and Greek, "ambix," a cup of a still) 7. Alfalfa = al-fac, facah (the best fodder) 8. Algebra = al-jabr (the reunion of broken parts, from "jabara," to reunite, bind together) 9. Alkali = al-qaliy, (ashes of the plant saltwort, from "qalay," to roast in a pan) 10. Almanac = almanakh (calendar) 11. Amber = 'anbar (ambergris) 12. Arsenal = dar as-sina'ah (workshop, literally, house of skill or trade) 13. Azure = lazward (sky blue, from Persian "lazhward") 14. Candy = qandi (made of sugar, from Sanskrit "khanda," sugar in pieces; "khand," to break) 15. Cipher = sifr (a cipher, nothing, from "safara," to be nothing) 16. Coffee = qahwa (coffee) 17. Cotton = qutun (cotton) 18. Crimson = qermez (crimson, from Sanskrit "krmija") 19. Elixir = el iksir (the philosopher's stone) 20. Gazelle = gazal (gazelle) (Source: Webster's Deluxe Unabridged Dictionary (New York: Dorset & Baber, 1983)
English Words Derived from the Arabic Language
How many Arabic words can you identify in their English versions? Some are obvious; others are not. 1) Al-debaran __________gazelle 2) Al-fac, facah _________tariff 3) Al-jabr ______________sash 4) Al-qaliy _____________zero 5) Alkimia _____________Aldebaran 6) Al kohl ______________ream 7) Almanakh ___________sherbet 8) Al-qobbah ___________algebra 9) Al-zar _______________Sahara 10) Amir al _____________alchemy 11) 'Anbar _____________amber 12) Dar as-sin'ah _______hazard 13) El iksir _____________coffee 14) Gazal ______________zenith 15) Julab ______________alcohol
1. Hazard = perhaps from al-zar (dice) 2. Julep = julab (from Persian "gulab," rose water) 3. Magazine = makhzan (a storehouse) 4. Mattress = matrah (mattress, foundation, place where anything is thrown) 5. Muslin = Mawsil (Mosul, a city in Iraq where muslin was first made) 6. Ream = rizmat (a bale, a packet, especially a ream of paper; from "razama," to pack together) 7. Saffron = za'faran 8. Sahara = sahra (desert) 9. Sash = shash (turban) 10. Satin = Zaitun (medieval name of Chinese city) 11. Sherbet = sherbet (from "sharaba," to drink) 12. Sofa = soffah (cushion on a saddle for a camel) 13. Sugar = sakkar (from Persian "shakar" and Sanskrit "carkara," gravel or candied sugar) 14. Syrup = sharab (from "shariba," to drink) 15. Tariff = tar'if (explanation, information, a list of things, especially of fees to be paid; from "`arafa," to inform) 16. Zenith = semt-ar-ras (zenith, "way of the head") 17. Zero = sifr (a cipher)
Bibliography
David Bukay, Arab-Islamic Political Culture: A Key Source to Understanding Arab Politics and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, ACPR Publishers, 2003
http://www.britannica.com
http://www.alhewar.com/
http://www.traderscity.com/abcg/culture.htm
www.adc.org [excellent for culture & society and Arab contribution to civilization]
