Although Arabs are understanding and unlikely to take offence at social blunders, provided

they arise from ignorance rather than malice, you will be made far more welcome if you
acquaint yourself with local ways of doing things. Its important to remember that youre a
foreigner and you must therefore adapt to the customs and social behaviour of the region
not the other way round. In addition to actions and behaviour which are regarded as
criminal, there are certain unwritten rules that you must observe in order not to offend
local sensibilities.

Dress

There are two distinct types of womens clothing in the region: one for locals, the other for
expatriates. Outside the home, most Arab women dress according to religious custom,
which means that they must cover most of the body, from head to foot. The traditional
black overgarment (abaya) is ankle length with long sleeves and a high neckline, and the
hair is covered. Some Arab women are totally covered, including their face and hands,
especially Saudis and those with strictly religious husbands. This is meant to protect
women protection from unwanted attention, and in Saudi Arabia even foreign women must
wear an abaya outside the home; the religious police will stop any woman who has her
head uncovered and direct her to cover her hair immediately. In other UAE states, foreign
women may wear western clothes but should always dress conservatively.
The regions hot climate and customs call for informal but smart dressing. Arabs frown on
clothes which reveal the shoulders, arms and legs, and any woman dressing provocatively
will be regarded as being of easy virtue or perhaps even as a prostitute. In the home,
however, when not entertaining close friends or relatives, Arab women often adopt
western dress, particularly younger women, and there are no restrictions on the way
foreign women may dress in private.
In a business setting, it is appropriate for women to wear conservative suits, in the form of
dark-coloured trousers or skirts that fall below the knee. The elbows should also be
covered at all times with a shirt or vest.
Arab men wear the thobe, a loose, ankle-length robe made from fine white cotton (or
heavier woollen material in winter). There are different styles of thobe, both in the cut of
the cloth and in the fastenings at the neck and front. Perhaps the most distinctive are
those worn by the Omanis, which sport a tassel. The thobe can be worn for all occasions,
either social or business. An outer cloak, the bisht, is worn on formal occasions and can be
very costly, with border embroidery in gold thread and the material itself of the finest
quality.
The traditional, distinctive head covering is the guthra, a white or red and white checkered
cloth held in place by the agal, a black rope which was originally a camel tether. There
are different types of agal: for example, Qataris normally wear a more African-style
headdress, with two long tails reaching down the back. Arab men sometimes wear casual
dress on very informal occasions or at the beach, but Saudi men are strongly encouraged
to wear national dress at all times.
Obviously, foreign men arent expected to wear Arab garments, and western dress is the
norm. Men should avoid wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts in the street, as is these are
regarded as excessively casual, although with the development of tourism, this attitude is
softening. However, suits are rarely worn in the Gulf, except for important business
meetings and related social events. Standard wear in the office is a shirt (usually longsleeved), tie and lightweight trousers.

Terms of Address

Arabs generally value civility highly, and its important that you greet (and part from) local
people in the correct way. The use of Arab names can be confusing for newcomers to the

region. For example, a man might be called Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Jishi. Abdullah is his
given name and hes the son or grandson of (bin) Abdul Aziz; Al-Jishi is the family or tribal
name. To make matters even more complicated, given names are often abbreviated: for
example, Mohammed can be shortened to Mohd, Hamad or Hamed. Its important to use
the full name, however, particularly on formal occasions and in correspondence. Abdullah
bin Abdul Aziz Al-Jishi should never be called Abdullah (let alone the diminutive Abdul),
although the patronymic may be omitted and he can be addressed as Abdullah Al-Jishi.
The general formal address is Sayyed (Sir) for a man or Sayeeda (or Sayedity) for a
woman, followed by the persons full name. Arab women can be addressed as Madame.
Rulers are usually addressed as Your Highness (Your Majesty in the case of the King of
Saudi Arabia). Senior members of ruling families are called Your Excellency followed
by Sheikh (pronounced shake and not sheek) and their full name. Government
ministers of the ruling line are Your Excellency, Minister of . . . and other ministers simply
Your Excellency followed by the full name. Lesser members of ruling families and those in
religious authority are addressed as Sheikh followed by their full name. In Saudi Arabia,
the title has somewhat less significance and is also being used by powerful members of
the business community. The conventions for addressing rulers and members of ruling
families are complex, and you should always check locally before being introduced to any
dignitaries.

Greetings
The most common greeting in the Gulf is Salam alaykum (Peace be upon you), to which
the correct reply is Wa alaykum as-salam (And upon you be peace). Other common
greetings and the accepted replies are:
Greeting
Meaning
Reply
Ahlan wa sahlan
Hello
Ahlan bik
Sabah al-khayr
Good morning/afternoon
Sabah an-nur
Masa al-khayr
Good evening
Masa an-nur
Note that tisbah ala-khayr, meaning good night, is said on parting, as in English, and the
reply is wa inta min ahlu. Men should always shake hands when greeting and parting from
Arab men. In the case of Arab women, you should be guided by the womans behaviour:
many Arab women wont shake hands with non-Arab men, although educated women
might. This is normal even with close friends whom you meet frequently. However, women
should wait to see how the interlocutor greets them, as devout Muslims would never touch
a woman who is not family. The alternative in this case is to place your hand over your
heart.
If the handshake you receive when leaving somebody is longer than the one you received
when meeting him, it indicates that youve made a good impression. Incidentally,
newcomers should note that refusals or protracted reluctance to meet people are frowned
upon. Note also that you shouldnt approach Arab women, look at them or talk to them
unless youve been properly introduced.
After handshaking, its customary to enquire after the other persons health and other
matters, and you should expect similar enquiries to be directed at you. (Dont enquire
after the health of the female members of an Arabs family, however, but restrict your
questions to those regarding the family in general or the sons.) This can take a long time,
as neither party wishes to be the one to draw matters to a close. Foreigners arent
expected to know or use all the subtleties this ritual involves, but you will make a good

impression if you learn at least some of the standard expressions and use them in the
correct way. Whether in face-to-face conversation or speaking to people on the telephone,
dont talk business straight away; if you do so, Arabs will assume that youre impatient or
not interested in them personally.

Hands & Feet

You should accept refreshment whenever its offered, but note that you should always use
your right hand for drinking and eating, as the left hand is regarded as unclean (as its
used for toilet purposes). Similarly, you should avoid showing the soles of your shoes or
feet, which implies that you think the other person is dirt, which is obviously highly
offensive. You should therefore keep your feet flat on the ground and not cross your legs.

Invitations

If youre invited to the home of an Arab, you should always accept. You should generally
take every opportunity to become acquainted with local people and avoid the natural
tendency to stay within the social and physical confines of your foreign ghetto. Your Arab
host will be interested in you and your views. However, you should avoid politics and
religion as subjects for discussion; your opinions might be regarded as ill-informed or even
offensive, even if they seem acceptable to you from a western perspective.
When you enter the majlis, the reception room for visitors, you should always remove your
footwear, unless the host indicates otherwise (you should therefore ensure that there are
no holes in your socks!). At this point, women are usually asked to join the women. You will
almost certainly be offered something to drink and perhaps eat; accept the offer. Arabs are
almost always polite and expect the same from those they meet, and believe that sharing
a meal with a person positively affects the relationship.
The standard greeting is Ahlan wa sahlan which means welcome - and this will become
familiar to all who visit Saudi Arabia. Its certainly worth learning enough Arabic to
communicate the pleasantries, greetings and responses of the country youre living in. You
will enjoy peoples reaction and your hosts invariably offer encouragement to those who
attempt to speak their language. Its important to note, however, that the Arabic language
has a special significance, having been designed to carry the word of God, so its
important to use it respectfully.
You should also never call at an Arabs house without warning him that youre coming. If
the women of the family are present, this wont be appreciated, particularly in Saudi
Arabia. You should also avoid expressing admiration for any of your hosts possessions, as
tradition dictates that he must then offer it to you. Although this tradition isnt followed by
everybody, it can nevertheless cause embarrassment. Whats more, the correct response
is for the recipient to give an even more valued gift in return, so think twice before
admiring an Arabs Rolls Royce!

Other Dos and Donts

You should also heed the following warnings:

Muslim is found within the prohibited areas, hes likely to be assaulted and will be afforded
no protection against the assailants.
Avoid blasphemy, particularly in the presence of Muslims.
Avoid putting an Arab in a position where he might suffer a loss of face in front of other
Arabs. He will appreciate this, if he notices your action.
Dont beckon to people with a finger, as this is considered particularly impolite. Arabs
might use such a gesture to summon a dog.
Avoid shouting and displays of aggression or drunkenness at all times, as such behaviour
is rarely tolerated.
During Ramadan, dont eat, drink or smoke anywhere where you can be seen by Muslims
during the hours of daylight and dont engage in any noisy behaviour or embrace or kiss
anyone in public.
This article is an extract from Living and Working in Gulf States &

Saudi Arabia.