saudi arabia- culture

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value, no matter what their country, religion or

color is.”

SAUDI ARABIA- ISSUES, VALUES AND ATTITUDES

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: GROUP 5

Riyadh

Riyal

largest

birthplace..

Working Hours?

Lifting the veil!

Ghutra

Men should wear suits and ties for business meetings.women should wear business suits (not trousers) which leave as little flesh showing as possible. Skirts should be well below the knee and preferably ankle-length. It is also advisable for women to carry a headscarf.

DO NOT WEAR GREEN!!

The society and culture of Saudi Arabia has a uniqueness of its own which makes Saudi Arabia stand apart in the Muslim world.

•The Saudi Arabia society and culture is dominated by the values of Islam

• it is a culturally rich country.

•The customs and beliefs of the Saudi Arabia society and culture are dominated by the Wahhabism sect of Muslims.

•The most prominent basis of distinction in Saudi Arabian society is based on natives and migrant population.

•Though the Arabian society welcomes and accepts people from other countries, yet the immigration factor does affect the social interaction and marriage issues.

•Islam is the dominant religion of the Saudi Arabian people and about 95% of them are Sunni Muslims.

•The architectural buildings in the country also have an influence of Islam

•Saudi Arabia is the home of the two most pious Muslim pilgrimages, Mecca and Medina.

•Even the art of calligraphy has a distinct impact of Islam as most of the patterns follow the style depicted in Quran.

Quran has played an important part in the growth of calligraphy in Saudi Arabia and in other Arabian countries.

The Quran is written beautifully and artistically. Arabic calligraphy is strongly influenced by the geometric form of Islamic art which is often seen on the walls and ceilings of Arabian mosques and buildings.

Saudi Arabian men and women have a preference for traditional clothes over Western styles of dress.

Jewellery is not only a means of decorating oneself but also as a symbol of social and economic status.

Folk music is very popular among people.

Most of the dishes are non-vegetarian and very spicy.

Saudi Arabia are descended from tribes of nomadic sheep and goat herders and most Saudis prefer traditional food.

Saudi Arabia, is founded on Islamic principles, including the dietary restrictions against eating pork or drinking alcohol.

With exploration of oil many foreign workers are needed to maintain the new industries, and foreign foods as well as fast food chains are available in Saudi Arabia

Management should keep in mind the menu serve in cafeteria to cater Islamic principles.

TRADITIONAL SPORTS• The people of the Arabian Peninsula have

enjoyed sports for thousands of years, including horse and camel racing, falconry and hunting with hounds

• Al Saqlah Al Saqlah is a game for girls

that is similar to jacks, using a hole in the ground and rocks or shells.

• Al Ghomaid Played by boys or girls, Al

Ghomaid is a game in which a blindfolded child attempts to tag the other players who make noise to confuse the child while dodging. Once a player is tagged, she receives the blindfold and the game begins again.

Local Games

MODERN SPORTS LIKE SOCCER ARE ALSO POPULAR

Influence of Sports?

• Sports in Saudi Arabia as well as in India is treated as recreational activity

• Organizations also take part in sports and various factors like team building, team participation is imbibed in the employees.

Entertainment

• No nightlife• Shopping• Sightseeing – Abha mountains, Redsea• Restaurants- aromatic coffee – separate family

rooms• No entertainment facilities such as cinemas or

theatres• Desert driving

Cross Cultural Communication Styles

Communication Styles

High Context

•implies that a lot of unspoken information is implicitly transferred during communication.

Low Context

•implies that a lot of information is exchanged explicitly through the message itself and rarely is anything implicit or hidden.

High Context

High Context Communication Indirect and implicit messages

High use of non-verbal communication

Low reliance on written communication

Use intuition and feelings to make decisions

Long-term relationships

Relationships are more important than schedules

Strong distinction between in-group and out-group

Women in Business

After years of stymied efforts by King Abdullah, the reform focus in Saudi Arabia is centering on women’s rights.

The most recent and ambitious efforts is a national campaign, driven by local actors, calling for women’s participation in municipal elections scheduled for autumn 2011.

Major Strides in last 5 yearsIn 2008 Prince Khalid Alfaisal, Governor of Mecca,

modified Article 160 of the Labor Law which prohibited men and women from interacting in a

business environment.

The Ministry of Labor also revised labor laws in 2008 in order to give women the choice to work. Women no longer require a male guardian’s approval to get

or leave a job.

In the same year, the Ministry of Trade also reversed a ban on women staying in hotels alone.

A new law is expected to give women the right to travel abroad without a male guardian’s approval and

the ability to use their national ID cards to travel to GCC states.

While women face a long road to achieve their full rights in Saudi Arabia, as long as the King continues to support moderate change and women rights activists remain active, gradual and sustainable reform can take place.

SAUDI ARABIA BUSINESS

STRUCTURE

ALL KEY EMPLOYEES COMING FROM EXTENDED FAMILY.

MAJORITY OF POWER-HELD AT THE TOP BY THE SENIOR

DEVOTE TIME ON RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

INDIA -HIERARCHY IS UNQUESTIONABLY FOLLOWED.

SAUDI ARABIA MANAGEMENT

STLYES

CONFLICT IS AVOIDED

COMPROMISE, PATIENCE CONSIDERED GOOD

CONSENSUS STYLE OF DECISION MAKING FOLLOWED.

BUT THE BOSS TAKES THE FINAL DECISION.

SAUDI ARABIA MEDIA DECISIONS

COMPARATIVE ADVERTISEMENTS

Advertising Disaster

UNCENSORED FILMS- NOT ADVERTISED

WOMEN IN COMMERCIALS BASED ON FAMILY AFFAIRS ONLY

WOMEN APPEARING IN ADS- VEILED

SAUDI ARABIABUSINESS PRACTICES-DO’S AND DON’T’S

Business Culture

• Arab countries are positive place to do business for many of those nations are seeking modern technology and most have the financial ability to pay for quality service.

Doing business in Saudi Arabia

• The Arab culture is distinctly different from the other cultures:

Arab’s view of time.Emotional cultural contrast of emotion and

logic.Ritualized form of greetings.

The customary greeting is “As-salam alaikum,

” (peace be upon you) to which the reply is

“Wa alaikum as-salam,” (and upon you be peace).

Address your Saudi Arabian counterparts with the appropriate titles Doctor, Shaikh (chief), Mohandas (engineer), and Ustadh (professor), followed by his or her first name. The word "bin" or "ibn" (son of) and “bint” (daughter of) may be present a number of times in a person’s name, as Saudi names are indicators of genealogy.

When entering a meeting, begin with a handshake. You should greet each of your Saudi counterparts individually, making your way around the room in an anti-clockwise direction.

BUSINESS CARDS NOT ESSENTIAL BUT INFORMATION ON IT SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN ENGLISH AND ARABIC.

It is uncommon for a Muslim man to shake hands with a woman therefore; it is advisable for business women to wait for a man to offer his hand first.

THE MORE YOU ASK QUESTIONS- THE LEAST YOU WOULD BE RESPECTED.

COMPARISON WITH INDIA

India Saudi Arabia

POWER DISTANCE

High High

UNCERTAINITY AVOIDANCE

Risk Averse Risk Averse

ORIENTATION Collectivists Collectivists

DECISION MAKING

Based on Compromise

Based on Cooperation

MASCULINITY No No

FEMINITY Yes as they value relationships

Yes as they value family and relationships

PROMOTION Based on Age Based on Age and Seniority

India Saudi Arabia

CULTURE Democratic Based on Islam

WORKING HOURS

09:00- 1:00 PM and 4:00 – 8:00 PM

10:00 AM- 4:00PM

WORKING WEEK

Saturday-Wednesday

Monday- Friday

HOLIDAYS Thursday and Friday

Saturday and Sunday

PROMOTION

Based on Age Based on Age and Seniority

CULTURAL FEATURES

Compromise, Patience and Self Respect.

Compromise, Patience and Cooperation.

India Saudi Arabia

HANDSHAKE Women offers first in most business meetings.

Man offers his hand first while shaking hands with woman.

BUSINESS CARDS

In English only

English and Arabic.

GIFTS Don't offer alcohol to a Muslim or beef to a Hindu.

Don’t offer alcohol pork, knivespigskin, perfumes with alcohol.

THANK YOU

DIRECTED BY: THE PHOENIX AND THE CLIQUE