This information basically comes to the conclusion that the business culture of Arab countries is very different from that of the West, however, they are very similar in basic belief of reliability and honesty.
Introduction.
The methods of conducting business in Arab nations can be very different from those in the West, but the basic principles are consistent across cultures. Westerners can be put off by some Middle Eastern interactions and expectations, and those Westerners choosing to remain ignorant of local customs can be seen as being offensive. At the same time, Arab businessmen are willing to overlook some of the more innocuous ignorance of their culture if the Westerner with whom they are dealing at least appears to be sincere in his desire to engage in business profitable to both.
Gross Differences.
First I would like to start with facts about exports and imports between the West and Arab nations. I will use Saudi Arabia in this example, Saudi Arabia's GDP is $241 billion. It's imports are $29.7 billion which is relatively a large amount. It imports in machinery and chemicals, motor vehicles and textiles. The U.S is it's #1 import partner which covers 21% of it's imports, and after that Japan with 9.4% The United States exports $723 billion and Japan exports $383.3 billion. So clearly, it would be a good investment to export to Saudi Arabia where they depend a lot on foreign goods. (CIA, 2003).
The Arab Culture.
"Keeping your distance" in conversing with an Arab businessman is a mark of insincerity or indicates that the Westerner finds the Arab offensive in some manner. The issue of personal space is very different among the Arabs, who tend to speak with more volume and animation than do Westerners, while they do it while being much closer to the person with whom they are conversing (Lewis, 1995). It can be disconcerting to one accustomed to maintaining several feet between people when holding a conversation, but this is one area in which most Arab businessmen are adamant.
