GENERAL DO’S AND DONT’S

PCG Jeddah

Page 1 of 5

IMMIGRATION FORMALITIES UPON ARRIVAL

For male first-time visitors/workers arriving in Saudi Arabia, they

should be met by their sponsors upon arrival to comply with immigration formalities.

For female visitors, they should at all times be met by their sponsors

upon arrival to comply with immigration formalities.

GREETINGS/SALUTATIONS

When you enter a room or an

office, greet the people with “As-salam Alaikom” (Peace be with

you).

If you are greeted with “As-salam Alaikom”, kindly answer “Wa

Alaikom As-salam” (And peace be with you).

WHEN ENTERING HOUSES

When entering a living room, a holy place, or a house, remove your shoes unless you are told not to do

so.

Observe your hosts and others

when visiting homes. Do as they do.

Do not visit anyone’s

housebetween 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. This is the normal siesta time for

most locals.

CORRECT FORMS OF ADDRESS

Shaking hands is customary when people meet or are introduced.

Do not shake hands with women if you are a man and with men if you

are a woman.

Both host and visitor address each

other using “MR” with family name. This is the most commonly used form of address.

Other forms of address are: “SHAIK, Hajji” (indicating one who

has made the pilgrimage to Mecca), “SAID” or “SAEID” (Sir) and “ABU” (father of) followed by a first name.

Do not call anyone by nickname or a slang name that would sound

strange to others.

Never call anyone with a “come here” motion of your finger as this

may offend him.

LANGUAGE

Try to learn Arabic. It will greatly

help in your progress and work relationship.

Learn at least all the basic phrases

of courtesy and respect. This will be appreciated.

CONVERSATION/TALKING

Avoid the topics of Middle East

politics and religion.

Do not talk to women if you are a

man, unless you already know each other.

Never point your finger to a person

you are talking to.

Do not cross your legs or sit

showing the undersides of your feet while talking to someone.

GENERAL DO’S AND DONT’S

PCG Jeddah

Page 2 of 5

Never laugh at anything pertaining to their customs or way of life that

may appear strange or unusual to you.

Avoid indulging in loud conversations or boisterous laughters.

CLOTHING/PROPER DRESS

Both men and women never appear in shorts, except when swimming or when engaged in sports.

Ladies should always present a modest appearance, keeping upper

arms and shoulders covered.

Men should always present a clean and fresh appearance.

Whenever in public, a woman should wear an abaya.

WHEN OFFERING OR RECEIVING SOMETHING

Use your right hand when offering or receiving something to or from an Arab (or a Muslim). Do not give

or receive anything with your left hand.

The right hand is used for eating, holding books or any clean item. The left hand is for cleaning

oneself.

COFFEE AND TEA

It is polite to have two cups of

Arabic coffee in a Saudi home, no more, no less. When you have enough, place your hand over the

cup or shake it from side to side as you give it back to the waiter. He

will understand you have finished.

An invitation to tea should be accepted. You are being honored

as a guest. Be very courteous if you really must refuse.

EATING/TABLE MANNERS

Use a knife and fork or a spoon and

fork. You will be served food in the usual Western manner.

Do not burp at meal tables.

During the holy month of Ramadan, do not eat in public or in the

presence of a Muslim within daylight hours.

In a banquet where food is served in one large dish, no cutlery is provided and only the right hand

should be used to pick the food and eat.

Avoid talking about pork and dog meat. They consider these dirty

and should not be eaten. Dogs have a negative connotation in their religion.

DRINKS/ALCOHOL

Never drink or serve alcoholic beverages. Like drugs, possession

and/or taking of alcohol is prohibited and punishable by law.

Newcomers are advised to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration especially during

summer.

Manufacturing, selling and drinking

of liquor is an offense that is punishable by law.

GENERAL DO’S AND DONT’S

PCG Jeddah

Page 3 of 5

RELIGION

The proper term is “Islam” for the religion not Mohammedanism and

“Muslim” or “Moslem” for the person, not Mohammedan.

Islam means “submission to God”.

Do not discuss religion. This can be a sensitive subject to some people.

Do not use the name of God (Allah), the Qu’ran of the Prophet Mohammed and other Muslim

saints irreverently. Say “Allah Ta, ala” (The Most High), “Qu”ran El

Karim” (Holy Qu’ran) and “Rasul Allah” (Messenger of Allah).

Do not attempt to enter a mosque

if you are not a Muslim unless you have permission.

Do not enter the cities of Makkah and Medina if you are not a Muslim.

PRAYER

Prayers are said at 12 noon, 3

p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. but the time changes

with the seasons.

Do not attempt to do business during daily prayer hours.

Do not talk, play music or make any form of noise while someone is

praying and while the Holy Qu’ran is being read or played on a cassette, television or radio.

Do not walk in front of someone who is praying.

Do not stare at someone who is praying.

Do not step on a prayer rug if someone is preparing to pray.

THE HOLY QU’RAN

Do not touch the Holy Qu’ran or other Muslim prayer books when you are in a private houses or

offices. It is a very irreverent gesture. Even a Muslim is

discouraged from touching the Holy Qu’ran without ablution.

RELIGIOUS ARTICLES

Do not carry in your possession any

non-Muslim religious articles or objects, i.e. bible, rosary,

stampitas, medallions, etc., when travelling to Arab countries in the Middle East, especially to the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Proselytizing is prohibited in the

Kingdom.

HOLIDAYS AND MUSLIM FESTIVITIES

All Muslim celebrate the holidays of Eid-el-Fitr (end of Ramadan, the

month of fasting) and Eid-el-Addha (pilgrimage to Makkah, better

known as the “Haj”).

Familiarize yourself with these and other festivities in the Islamic

calendar.

During the Holy Month of Ramadan,

eating, drinking and smoking are all strictly prohibited with daylight hours. Penalty, if caught, is

expulsion especially from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

GENERAL DO’S AND DONT’S

PCG Jeddah

Page 4 of 5

SMOKING

Although it is not at prohibited, most religious people in Saudi

Arabia do not welcome cigarette smoking. Some consider it an evil habit. It is advisable to avoid

smoking, most especially for women.

During the holy month of Ramadan, smoking is strictly forbidden in the streets or anywhere in public within

daylight hours. If caught, you will be expelled from the Kingdom.

DRIVING

Women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia.

Be a defensive driver. The common

driving style is very aggressive.

PICTURE TAKING/PHOTOGRAPHS

Do not take a picture of any person

without asking his or her permission first.

Do not photograph military

installations, ports and airport facilities without official permission.

Do not bring lewd or pornographic pictures, tapes, and magazines/reading materials.

WOMEN

Do not stare at women.

Women are advised to avoid going out alone for their own safety and protection.

Women should not talk intimately in public with their husbands. They

may go out with other male friends, provided they maintain a distance

from them.

Women should refrain from

exhibiting aggressive stance or attitudes at all times.

ENTERTAINMENT

Disco dancing is prohibited.

Do not bring or sell raffle tickets, as this is considered gambling.

COUPLES

Even if you are husband and wife

or officially engaged, you should never embrace in public, hold

hands romantically or show any signs of romance. These acts are considered offensive to public

morals.

Do not insist that a Saudi bring his

wife to social gatherings. There are two separate social groups: men and women; and they do not

usually intermingle in public gathering and occasions.

TIPPING

Taxi drivers and barbers do not expect tips.

Tipping is an uncommon practice except in airports (for porters) and

in hotels (for waiters and porters).

ACCIDENTS/GIVING FIRST AID

Unless you are a doctor, a medical staff or an authorized person, do

not administer first aid in case of accident.

GENERAL DO’S AND DONT’S

PCG Jeddah

Page 5 of 5

GET TO KNOW YOUR HOST AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Learn about their ways, traditions and religion.

Accept invitations to their homes. Acquaint yourself with the people. Try traditional produce and local

materials. Adjust your mental attitude and

notions. Be modest at all times. Show your respect and regard for

your host.

GROUNDS FOR DEPORTATION

Commission of crimes and unlawful activities.

Use of fraudulent documents.

Expiration of required residence/working permits.

RESPECT FOR THE SAUDI FLAG/MONARCH

Never show disrespect for the Saudi flag or the Saudi monarch. A tattoo of the Saudi flag could be

considered an offense.

IQAMA/PASSPORT

Always carry your Iqama (Residence Permit) and a copy of your passport. Authorities have the

right to demand to see the documents for identification

purposes. Most public transactions in the Kingdom require the presentation of an iqama.

Always check the validity of your iqama and passport. Both

documents should never expire. A passport must always have 6 months validity.

LOANS

Loaning money with interest is prohibited in the Kingdom.

Being a guarantor for a loan would make you liable for the whole amount of the loan.

Non-payment of a loan, even if you are a guarantor, could result to

imprisonment.

DRUGS

Drugs and narcotics are prohibited in the Kingdom.

Mere possession of a narcotic, even is very small amounts, is a criminal

offense.

Manufacturing, selling, using or possessing drugs are all grounds

for a criminal action.

Even slimming pills or

pharmaceuticals containing small amounts of narcotics are prohibited.