Understanding the arab culture

howtobooks Spring Hill House, Spring Hill Road, Begbroke, Oxford OX5 1RX, United Kingdom info@howtobooks.co.uk www.howtobooks.co.uk howtobooks Published by How To Content, A division of How To Books Ltd, Spring Hill House, Spring Hill Road, Begbroke, Oxford OX5 1RX United Kingdom Tel: (01865) 375794 Fax: (01865) 379162 info@howtobooks.co.uk www.howtobooks.co.uk How To Books greatly reduce the carbon footprint of their books by sourcing their typesetting and printing in the UK All rights reserved No part of this work may be reproduced or stored in an information retrieval system (other than for purposes of review) without the express permission of the publisher in writing The right of Dr Jehard Al-Omari to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 © 2008 Dr Jehad Al-Omari First published 2003 Second edition 2008 First published in electronic form 2008 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 84803 302 Produced for How To Books by Deer Park Productions, Tavistock, Devon Typeset by PDQ Typesetting, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs NOTE: The material contained in this book is set out in good faith for general guidance and no liability can be accepted for loss or expense incurred as a result of relying in particular circumstances on statements made in the book Laws and regulations are complex and liable to change, and readers should check the current position with the relevant authorities before making personal arrangements Contents Preface ix About the author xiii Acknowledgements xv Introduction xvii A CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE The place of generalizations The dangers of stereotying Emerging with common sense The role of the cross-cultural theory Exaggerating the role 11 13 TEN CROSS-CULTURAL REALITIES Recognizing the complexity of culture Going beyond visibles Holding your judgement Appreciating Gandhi’s dilemma Accepting culture shock Knowing yourself Seeing yourself as others see you Working with stereotypes Mentoring and solving problems Packing your sense of wonder and humour 15 15 17 18 20 21 23 24 26 27 29 THE ARAB CULTURE IN A GENERIC CONTEXT Writing about culture The four cultural determinants Relationships in collective cultures Business practices in collective cultures Hierarchy in power distant cultures Business practices in high power distant organizations Communicating with high context cultures Communicating across cultures Business tips for high context cultures Managing time in polychronic cultures Business Tips for Working with Polychronic Cultures 31 31 32 34 35 39 41 44 46 50 51 53 THE BUSINESS PYRAMID Increased complexity Building a communications strategy 56 56 57 v vi / U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E A R A B C U L T U R E Managing meetings effectively Doing business and negotiating 61 67 AN ARAB PERSPECTIVE The Arab world The Arab League Sources of unity Terms of Reference The Arab peoples The levels of diversity The Arabic language Learning the language Learning tips Translating into Arabic Some useful phrases Arabic numbers 70 70 71 73 76 78 80 82 83 85 86 88 90 FIRST ENCOUNTERS WITH ARABS Cultural quiz Before you travel Getting there What’s in a name? The rules of formality Understanding family names Interpreting body language Establishing eye contact Reading the tactile culture Appreciating gender differences Increasing women’s roles Aspects of dress code 92 92 93 95 96 98 99 101 103 103 104 106 107 VALUES AND ATTITUDES The position of hospitality Sampling Arabic coffee Hospitality tips The role of the family Making conversation Conversation tips 110 110 114 116 118 120 121 EXPERIENCING ARABIA Socializing with Arabs Attending weddings and festivals Visiting the Majlis Going on desert outings 124 124 125 128 130 C O N T E N T S / vii Sampling Arabic food Shopping and bargaining Getting out and about Living conditions 132 135 136 138 ISLAM: AWAY OF LIFE Islam in the world Islam today The meaning of Islam The oneness of God Mohammed (PBUH): Seal of the Prophets The belief system Family code A way of life The meaning of Shari’a Praying – Salah Fasting during Ramadan Pilgrimage to Mekkah – Hajj Useful tips 140 140 141 144 146 147 149 149 150 151 152 153 155 156 10 DOING BUSINESS The business environment Business is personal The spoken word The meeting Circular meetings Pleasantries and small talk Organized chaos Flow and tempo Breaking bad news Punctuality Inshaalah Confrontation avoidance Decision-making Waasta and favours Exercise – making a presentation 159 159 162 163 164 166 167 168 170 171 173 176 177 178 179 181 Epilogue 185 Recommended reading 202 Index 203 This page intentionally left blank Preface One who knows about oneself and about others will recognise: Orient and Occident can no longer be separated To move comfortably between both worlds, Between the East and the West, that is the best J W von Goethe How you define culture and who are the Arabs? Is it possible to exaggerate the role of culture, and can we generalise about the Arabs? Is it possible to write about your own culture and remain unbiased? Where generalizations end and stereotypes begin in a work like this? Can a book of this type give the Arab culture some justice in the eyes of the Arabs themselves and in terms of its usefulness to non- Arabs? Where does this book fit in the overall global environment which every nation is supposedly undergoing? How does this book contribute to the overwhelming need for a better understanding of the Arab culture and Islam in view of recent events? I believe that all the above questions are legitimate questions in assessing a book of this type However, as important as these questions may be, they are not in themselves questions that this book pretends to answer In writing this book, I had one objective in mind: to better inform Western expatriates and business-people who are relocating to the Arab World about some facets of the Arab culture which are of great relevance to them, in a simple, practical and concise manner In writing this book, it was inconceivable to ignore the bigger picture that underpins the choice of subjects and angles of discussion: namely the cross-cultural theory, its objectives, tools, limitations and failings The book addresses the key issues that ix 190 / U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E A R A B C U L T U R E confusing On the one hand, there are pressures to liberate and free economies, to withdraw subsidies and to lower borrowing, etc; on the other hand, there are pressures to institute fundamental changes, especially democratic reforms So the West is causing more poverty and deprivation through economic measures but preaching the gospel of democracy, prosperity, freedom and progress This is not to mention the political volatility of a region that has so many hotspots and new visions such, as the ‘New Middle East’ and ‘Grand Middle East’ (perhaps topped by the US concept of ‘creative chaos’) To begin with Iraq, the cataclysmic, bizarre, remarkable and astounding collapse of the Iraqi regime was symptomatic of so many Arab regimes where a despotic leadership and a weak government stood absolutely no chance at all The Arab world reacted to the fall of Saddam’s regime in two conflicting ways First was a demonstration that the people were not going to fight to defend such a regime and, secondly, there was considerable hostility towards the Allies (and particularly the Americans) for attacking an Arab country Some people would go further to use Iraq as proof of the failure of the ‘Arab nation-state’ After almost fifty years since independence there was a failure to ‘build nationhoods’ that were democratic, stable, harmonious and, most importantly, in tune with their citizens – from monarchies to republics to sheikhdoms A recent study by the Centre for Arab Unity Studies, which took a sample from six Arab countries, suggested that only 30% of those interviewed believed they belonged to their ‘nation-state’, whereas the majority felt more affiliation with the Umma (Arab or Islamic) E P I L O G U E / 191 It is astonishing how many Arabs discovered how little they knew of Iraq before its occupation, and perhaps the Americans found the same: not only how the Iraqi regime was a ‘paper tiger’ but also how tribalistic, sectarian and multi-racial it was Almost fifty years of socialism, oil wealth, independence and two wars failed to create a modern, united nation; indeed, it was a country torn apart, and more so following its occupation Interestingly an occupied Iraq has now created new dynamics and different opinions across the Arab world The execution of Saddam Hussein, and the way it was done, has made him a hero for many sections of Arab society – most amazingly, amongst many Iraqis and Arabs who were opposed to him in the past or who did not approve of his tactics or atrocities The fact that he was executed by an ‘imported’ Shi’ah government brought in by the Americans and supported by the Iranians has further escalated tensions within the Arab people (Sunnis and Shi’ahs) and has exasperated feelings towards Iran, the USA and the West Indeed, whilst 10 years ago it could be claimed that Iraqi society was not divided along sectarian lines, sectarianism has now replaced the ‘promised’ democracy Furthermore, the failure so far to bring peace to Iraq has not only ravaged Iraqi society for generations to come but it has also reawakened such notions that countries like Iraq can only be held together by despots, thus dealing ‘democratic reforms’ an irrecoverable blow So, what is the state of democracy in the Arab world today? Why hasn’t democracy taken root? There is a body of opinion that America never wanted democracy in Iraq, but a puppet 192 / U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E A R A B C U L T U R E government It is not in the interests of America and the West for democracy to flourish in this region of the world Proponents of this view see America as the biggest anti-democratic nation in the world and find evidence in the US support of many undemocratic Arab governments That America and the West are now ‘friendly’ with regimes they opposed in the past is further evidence of this There is, however, a minority of opinion that suggests that perhaps there are elements of Arab culture that will always prevent democratic trends, such as tribalism, sectarianism, religion and so on The majority, however, tends to externalize the lack of democracy whilst the minority tend to internalize its causes That there is now a healthy debate about democracy in general, and the fact that democracy is now in popular demand (even though there are few signs that things are changing) is, nevertheless, encouraging A small minority are now posing questions about whether ‘Arab culture’ inhibits or encourages democracy, and this is a promising start for social change A healthy re-examination of outdated social values and attitudes and of inadequate, damaging and destructive social practices is certainly preferable to changes imposed from outside However, we should not over-emphasize the ‘internal drivers’ for change: certainly external factors are also making a difference Globalization, for example, for all its ills, has brought many positive changes, as well as being a stimulus for change itself Communication (the Internet in particular) is breaking down barriers even though it is attacking and undermining closely held religious values and beliefs It seems it is now a question of whether Arabs will value choice over coercion and whether they E P I L O G U E / 193 believe that their core values will withstand the test of time, exposure and experimentation A further external factor is continuing international support for the evolution of a ‘civil society’ covering a wide range of interests from ‘democracy’ to ‘human rights’ and from ‘the empowerment of women’ to ‘institutional transformation’ There remain, however, reservations that the fact that these organizations are externally funded may compromise their integrity, neutrality and independence Certainly, in my experience, many of these organizations appear elitist, are dependent on outside help and come across as being purely cosmetic They seem to serve the host country in that they allow such countries to be seen to be doing things What has happened, in fact, is that these organizations have simply become a means of living on external aid, which raises many fears about their credibility and impact It seems, therefore, that the Arab world is a long way from implementing change Change has always been talked about in terms of which aspects of Arab culture to hold on to and which aspects of Western culture the Arab world should import, adapt or imitate When Napoleon invaded Egypt in 1798, for example, the Arabs asked the simple question: why has the west advanced while we have stagnated? This question triggered a political polemic that has persisted in the Arab consciousness ever since Does the answer lie in a return to true, pure and uncorrupted Islam (i.e Islamic movements) or in the adoption of everything the West can offer (i.e secular movements)? Between these two extremes are the Islamic Reformists and the Arab Nationalists but, apart from being the most popular movements, these factions 194 / U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E A R A B C U L T U R E have mostly been at loggerheads for the last 100 years to so Islamic Reformism has come to dominate Arab thinking over the last thirty years The reasons for this are debatable, (e.g the 1967 six-day war, the Iranian Islamic revolution of 1979) Nonetheless, whilst militancy remains a very marginal movement its impact has been disastrous on both the Western and the Arab worlds alike Furthermore, apart from reinforcing ‘Islamo-phobia’ throughout the West, ‘militant’ Islam and, more precisely, the war on terror, has severely damaged ‘democratic and reformist’ pressures from within the Arab world For as long as the ‘war on terror’ continues to be the preoccupation of the west and the pretext of Arab regimes, it will hamper all political, social and economic development in the Arab world The war on terror has given rise to conspiracy theories that this war is simply a smokescreen for international intervention, and that its real objective is to hold back the development of the Arab world and to keep it in the grip of Western powers Irrespective of the credibility of such theories or of the fact that most Westerners would argue that Arabs are obsessed with this way of thinking, such theories only serve to put up more barriers between the East and the West, and it is becoming increasingly more difficult to remove these However, over the last 15 years efforts to create a dialogue between the East and the West have intensified, through, for example, state-sponsored initiatives such as the EuroMed projects or through various international bodies, including Islamic– Christian dialogue As with many international initiatives of this kind however, the average Arab manages only to glimpse such E P I L O G U E / 195 efforts through news items and articles The role of the media in shaping public opinion has been one of the most significant developments of the last 15 years When Saddam invaded Kuwait, it was almost 48 hours before the Arabs began to learn the facts of the invasion Only those few who had access to CNN could follow the events closely, especially in the first week After that it proved impossible for the censored Arab media to cover up the facts of the invasion Al Jazeerah, along with a few Arab stations, (such as Al Arabiya and MBC) has, however, now become an agent for change The fact that in such a short space of time and with an enlightened regime, for Al Jazeerah to have become a world-class institution is surely a positive development for the future It has also severely undermined state intervention in the dissemination of information and news Some would further argue that Al Jazeerah (along with others) has not only brought the Arab world together but has also done more for Arab unity than any political movement of the last 100 years Finally, the phenomenal success of Al Jazeerah has not escaped the attention of the Americans It has prompted the establishment of an American-backed TV station, thus recognising the role of media in the new Arab world It is very significant that a TV channel such as Al Jazeerah has a dedicated and loyal audience who are willing to hear the ‘opposite view’ The Arab media, for example, have now broken traditionally held taboo by giving a platform to the Israelis Arab viewers can, for the first time, watch live debates and interviews with Israeli politicians, peace activists, extremists and academics, which has created a different level of awareness about the State of 196 / U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E A R A B C U L T U R E Israel, Jews and the Arab-Israeli conflict At the same time, this has also brought Arab viewers closer to the plight of the Palestinians, as well as to the various challenges facing Palestinian unity and statehood Israeli viewers, however, are not exposed to Arab politicians and academics, and the same is true for Western audiences, especially in North America Is this media revolution yet another conspiracy to soften Arab attitudes or is it that the Arab world is changing faster than Israel or the West? Whatever the answer, the fact remains that the Arab world is becoming more integrated in the global economy, and this is a first step to instituting change In the Arab world, however, globalization is still largely associated with Western imperialism, exploitation, decadence and promiscuity Whilst states still exercise their right to censor the printed media, they are almost helpless in the face of the internet and satellite TV Indeed, the fact that globalization and technology have become very potent equalizers, facilitating the flow of information, knowledge and resources across the world, is something many governments cannot fully grasp This situation reminds me of Churchill’s statement that ‘we are changing the world faster than we can change ourselves, and we are applying to the present the habits of the past’ The occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and the permanent siege of Gaza are reminiscent of scenes from the medieval ages, and those who still believe that occupation, brute force, torture and unholy alliances are the way for the twenty-first century are probably very blinkered in their thinking For example, the idea that the Abu Ghreib tortures, the Guantanamo practices and the secret prisons will not be photographed and the photographs subsequently leaked through the internet demonstrates that some politicians still act as though E P I L O G U E / 197 there isn’t a new global force emerging in the form of an international human rights movement The Lebanese–Israeli war of the summer of 2006 is a vivid example of how events can be transmitted live from a battlefield across the world From an Arab perspective, this war was of great interest, for several reasons First, in the eyes of the Arabs at least, the Israelis were humiliatingly defeated by a small group of highly organized, trained and disciplined ‘militias’, thus demolishing the myth of the invincibility of the Israeli Army Secondly, the war highlighted the considerable gaps between those Arab states who supported Hezbollah and those who were against it However, the most interesting thing to emerge from this war was the unparalleled support the Shi’ah Hezbollah received from Arab Sunni masses across the Arab region It was strange to see Sunni Arabs carrying posters of Hassan Nasrallah – the leader of Hezbollah and a Shi’ah cleric This could be seen as an indication that Arab Nationalist and Islamic feelings are still influenced by secular loyalties, despite the apparent Sunni–Shi’ah civil war in Iraq Indeed, and despite Iran’s support for Shi’ahs in Iraq and ever-escalating anti-Iranian Western pressures, a TV poll held not long after the end of the war showed that over 90% of Arab viewers did not consider Iran to be a strategic enemy Furthermore, and perhaps thanks to the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, there are now healthy debates on many different issues, from nationalism to human rights and from Islam to colonialism and independence Such events as the above seem to have awakened a time-honoured, primordial human instinct to resist occupation, oppression and repression in an area that has witnessed political stagnation for so long 198 / U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E A R A B C U L T U R E The recent Western experiences (or misadventures) in Afghanistan and Iraq are another demonstration of how misinformed the west is about the region, its culture and its capacity to resist and defy foreign powers It seems odd that there are still many Western policy-makers who believe they can establish Western hegemony with ease and that intervention will not go unpunished The history of Western meddling in Arab affairs goes back a long way but, in modern times, during the cold war the US saw Arab Nationalism as a major threat and therefore much was done by the US and its allies to counterbalance it by backing the Islamic movement For a long time, therefore, the Islamic movement was regarded as an American lackey by the Arab Nationalist and secular movements It is perhaps ironic that for over 50 years whilst the Arab world was primarily secular, or was heading in that direction, it was as a result of foreign intervention that it turned Islamic Now the Arab world is being told to fight Islamization and to adopt a more secular approach Is it any wonder that Arabs are fascinated by conspiracy theories? From an Arab perspective, the invasion of Iraq demonstrates that the Arab world has an enormous ability to withstand defeats and to find ways of resisting, repelling and confronting intervention Technological superiority and economic dominance are all very well, but history, geography, culture and human nature should not be marginalized, ignored or swept aside That Iraq does not exist in a vacuum and that its occupation would send shock waves throughout the region seem not to have been considered This begs the question as to US knowledge about the region, not only on this occasion but also on many previous occasions It also raises questions about how US strategy is formulated and about who shapes, directs and influences such strategies and to what ends E P I L O G U E / 199 The duality of Arab Nationalism and Islamization has dominated political and social life for nearly four decades, with the two movements being arch-enemies for most of this time Indeed, the idea that someone could actually be both was considered a contradiction in terms Governments, opinion leaders and political parties supported one or the other, and the idea that politics could borrow from both was ridiculed Over the last ten years or so, however, these two movements have moved towards some form of reconciliation, as represented by the Nationalist Islamist Annual Conference that usually brings together leaders from both sides to discuss regional affairs There is thus an increasing realization that both parties represent the conscience of the Arab people, and that a synthesis may be possible between them For a very long time there were those who lamented or celebrated the death of Arab Nationalism, particularly after the six days’ war, the death of Nasser, the resurgence of Islam and the apparent failures in achieving any kind of unity Indeed, some went as far as to question whether the term ‘Arab world’ had any validity, specifically in the light of the region’s diversity There were accusations that Arab Nationalism had a racist undertone However, recent events have shown that Arab Nationalism is far from dead In the words of Sir James Craig, the Arab language did not break because the Arabs did not want it to break It could be claimed that Arab Nationalism has seen some resurgence recently The media, and particularly satellite television, has brought the Arab world closer together and has created a different level of awareness, belonging and openness Admittedly, such trends have been encouraged to counterbalance 200 / U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E A R A B C U L T U R E Islamization There is also a sort of yearning, especially amongst youths, for a more liberal identity than that provided for by Islamic movements As far as liberalism is concerned, at first glance the Arab world is confusing On the surface, Arabs appear today to be far more conservative than, say, 25 years ago Some would say that the height of liberalism was in the 1950s and 1960s Ironically, whilst Islamic values and practices have asserted themselves in public life, there are still undercurrents of more liberal, tolerant attitudes in private life For many, Turkey rather than Iran seems to be the model to emulate Here, the Islamic movement has managed to succeed in a highly guarded secular state and, somehow, a synthesis of the East and West or Islam and Modernism is beginning to take root So will there be more liberalism in the modern Arab world? In a way, yes certainly, but not in any confrontational way Whilst Arab Nationalism and liberalism tend to be elitist, Islam is very much a grassroots movement that can mobilize the masses Nonetheless, it does seem that both movements have asserted themselves and have settled into some kind of workable dualism that is certainly less confusing than before We should not judge the rise and fall of various political movements simply in terms of winners and losers, triumphs and catastrophes (although these are important) but in terms of cycles or waves where each movement emerges as a result of deeply felt needs and aspirations Such movements address momentary requirements only to disappear when they have fulfilled their role, E P I L O G U E / 201 thus allowing another movement to fill the gap It is a foregone conclusion, therefore, that Arab Nationalism has left a permanent stamp on Arab society, and the same is true for the Islamic movement To return to the Lebanese–Israeli war of 2006 and the more recent events in Gaza, there are many indications that the Arab– Israeli conflict is far from reaching a happy conclusion At the popular level the peace process seems to have failed utterly When the Palestinians crossed the Egyptian border, this was seen not so much as an act of heroism but as an embarrassment to the Arab political order With all the talk of democracy, human rights and liberalism, the persistent feeling in the Arab world is apathy and loathing towards their respective political orders That Arabs have lost faith in their leaders over the Palestinian issue is not an act of surrender Rather, there is a spirit of hope: leave it for better times, for fate or for future generations to improve things Recommended Reading Islam and History Arab Thought in the Liberal Age, Albert Hourani, Cambridge University Press, 1988 A History of the Middle East, Peter Mansfield, Penguin Books, 1992 Islam: The Straight Path, John Esposito, Oxford University Press, 1994 (ISBN: 0-19-507472-6 (pbk)) The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, Amin Maalouf, Alsaqi Books, 1983 Fiction Samarkand, Amin Maalouf, Abacus, 1995 Leo the African, Amin Maalouf, Abacus, 1995 Miscellaneous Yamani: The Inside Story, Jeffrey Robinson, Fontana Collins, 1990 (ISBN: 0-00-637408-5) Tribes with Flags: A Journey Curtailed, Charles Glass, Picador, 1990 (ISBN: 0-330-31930-2) Management Worldwide, David J Hickson & Derek S Pugh, 1995 (ISBN: 0-14-014981-3) 202 Index Adler, Nancy, 31 Al Maghreb, 76 Al Mashrek, 76, 77, 78 Arab League, 70, 71, 72 Arabic numbers, 90 dress code, 44, 107, 155 driving, 90 ethnocentricism, 28 evolution, 39, 106 expatriate(s), 20–3, 25, 29, 83, 86, 96, 97, 120, 122, 136–7, 158, 163, 167 eye contact, 103, 106, 122 banned materials, 94 body language, 51, 58, 102, 108, 123 circular agenda, 45–6, 65, 166, 178 coffee, 114, 115, 129 collectivism/collectivists, 32–9, 43, 52, 53, 68, 163, 177, 181 communication, 36, 51, 59–61 complexity, 15, 19, 56 conflicts, 38 consensus, 39, 178 continuity, 39 contracts, 38 corporate gifts, 118 Craig, Sir James, 82 credit cards, 96 cross-cultural theory, 10, 11, 32, 47 culture shock, 21–3 face (saving), 37, 39, 49, 57, 69, 171–2, 176–7 family, 118–20 family names, 99–100 formality, 98–9 funjan, 114 Gandhi, Mahatma, 20–1 generic perspective, 32 glocal, 29, 176 guanxi, 34 Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), 77 Hall, Edward, T., 12, 31, 44–6 halwa, 113 hierarchy, 19, 39, 44, 66, 69 high context culture(s), 33, 44–6, 51–2, 56, 57, 60, 101, 123, 177 Hofstede, Geert, 12, 31, 34 hospitality, 10, 33, 35, 53, 55, 56, 59, 80, 110–11, 113, 116–17, 123, 128, 130 dallah, 16 decision-makers, 37, 38, 68–9, 167, 177 decisions, 37–8 desert, 130–1 disclosure, 36 203 204 / U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E A R A B C U L T U R E hotels and restaurants, 95 humour, 28, 121 individualism, 14, 34, 35, 180 injections, 94 intermediaries, 34, 37 Islam/Islamic, 1, 40, 73–5, 97, 104, 105, 107, 128, 140–58, 174 power distance/distant, 33, 39, 40, 69, 178 prescriptive culture, 46 punctuality, 173–4 Ramadan, 153–5, 158 relocation, 21–2 rented accommodation, 96, 138 rote learning, 19 Jihad, 145 Koran, 73, 82, 139, 144, 145, 149, 150, 151, 152 linear agenda, 46, 166 Ma’arifa, 69, 179 monochronic, 51, 52, 166, 169, 171 mentoring, 27 multicultural, 11, 13 multinational, 27, 107, 138 multi-tasking, 55 negotiating/negotiation, 43, 57, 62, 67, 68, 69, 70, 166, 167 networks, 35, 38, 63 self-knowledge, 23–4 self-worth, 119 sider, 112 small talk (and pleasantries), 35, 88, 121, 167–8 sports, 121, 128, 130, 136–7 stereotype/typing, 7, 18, 26–7, 120, 157 strategic level, 16 symbols, 156 tactical level, 16 tactics, 51, 62, 67 ‘touchy-feely’, 17 transport, 95–6 tribal confederations, 118 Trompenaars, Fons, 12, 31 operational/practical level, 17 useful phrases, 88–90 PanArabValues, 80 passport, 94 personal safety, 95 polycentricism, 28 polychronic, 32, 51, 52, 53, 54, 123, 166, 168, 169, 170 visa, 93 visibles, 17–18 Waasta, 69, 179–81 working day, 95 [...]... doing business in the Arab World in terms of what makes sense and what does not The fact of the matter is that there are no written rules about doing business in the Arab World, neither is there an Arab management theory In this respect, the Arab culture as a whole serves as the foundation for exploring the subject of business Another source was the cross-cultural theory itself in the shape of Chapter... Today with the advent of the internet and Satellite TV, the Arab world is more closely linked 4 / UNDERSTANDING THE ARAB CULTURE than ever before Whilst dialects are not disappearing ‘Modern Arabic’, as it is now called, is a moderated form of literary Arabic that is widely understood by Arabs throughout the region In the last ten years, media and technology has brought the region further together more... the repository of the Arab culture, and I know of no other modern day culture that continues to place so much weight on poetry as Arabs do and across the region Here we are talking about literary or written Arabic, rather than spoken dialects It is said that when President Nasser of Egypt met King Saud of Saudi Arabia nearly half a century ago, they needed a translator even though they both spoke Arabic... of these dimensions have been selected and explored in depth in Chapter 3 but with specific reference to the Arab culture The importance of these dimensions lies in that they are non-judgemental, and so they do not suggest the superiority of one culture over the other but rather provide tools for making comparisons and emerging with practical conclusions It is hoped that this book’s exploration of these... only of the Arab culture but also of the Western culture, thus providing the reader with some tools for selfcontemplation and questioning THE ROLE OF CULTURE A fundamental question that is often thrown up for discussion whenever culture is mentioned is whether we can ever exaggerate the role of culture Most cross-cultural writers and trainers are, by default, biased to the role and position of culture. .. address Arabs across the region As an example, music and arts which are two important components of culture are truly fusing across the region In the same way that the world is becoming a global village as more political, economic and social barriers are collapsing, the Arab world is itself going through ‘uncontrolled’ changes Then there is Islam, which provides the main moral code that underpins the Arab. .. misconceptions of the Arab world, Arabs and Islam as well as some key Arab perceptions of the West The target readership could be the occasional business visitor and could also be the departing expatriate Many practical tips are given on a variety of issues, from socializing to doing business Some of these tips are common sense, and will apply to international travel, but others are specific to the Arab culture. .. international business They would not be good at what they did if they did not feel a great deal of enthusiasm for the subject At any rate, it is all too easy to exaggerate the role of culture on two scores Firstly, the reader must not think that culture will influence and dominate their international assignment in everything they do Raising the subject of culture is not an invitation to try and find culture in... most about this culture? 2 What did you enjoy least about this culture? 3 What annoyed or puzzled you most about this culture? Keep these notes until the end of the book to see if these experiences have become more understandable, and particularly those that annoyed or puzzled you RECOGNIZING THE COMPLEXITY OF CULTURE There are as many definitions of culture as there are writers on the subject, and... behaviour, not as manifested at the personal level You will no doubt meet many Arabs who, due to their education and degree of Westernisation, will not fit all the patterns outlined in this book, but they are the minority or the exception The majority of the people you will meet will subscribe to many of the values and patterns of behaviour outlined in this book, whether they are related to attitudes ... neither is there an Arab management theory In this respect, the Arab culture as a whole serves as the foundation for exploring the subject of business Another source was the cross-cultural theory... negotiating 61 67 AN ARAB PERSPECTIVE The Arab world The Arab League Sources of unity Terms of Reference The Arab peoples The levels of diversity The Arabic language Learning the language Learning... translator even though they both spoke Arabic Today with the advent of the internet and Satellite TV, the Arab world is more closely linked / UNDERSTANDING THE ARAB CULTURE than ever before Whilst dialects