United Arab Emirates Culture Tips
In one of the fastest growing regions of the world, the UAE is culturally diverse, because of its large expat population, yet grounded in its Middle Eastern history. The following will be useful when interacting with Emiratis:
+ Nepotism is viewed positively, since it guarantees that one hires people who can be trusted, which is crucial in a country where working with people one knows and trusts is of primary importance.
+ Foreign businesswomen are generally treated as professionals and given as much respect as a man in the same position (however, certain things should be left unsaid, e.g. cohabitation with a significant other).
+ Since the UAE is very hierarchical, be aware that people expect to be treated differently based on their socioeconomic level and don’t expect meetings or social functions to involve people from multiple levels.
+ Men should be careful about being seen alone in public with a woman to whom they are not related.
+ Expatriates from many countries are abound in the UAE, so be aware of each individual’s cultural heritage in order to ease communication.
+ Emirati managers may take a paternalistic attitude to their employees by demonstrating concern for aspects of life beyond the workplace, e.g. family, housing and health.
- taken from RW3′s CultureWizard™
