Doing Business in Dubai

Business in Dubai

Conducting business in Dubai has a mixture of Western and Eastern elements to it. It can seem a minefield of legal jargon and red tape, but once you have broken it down, it is possible for businesses coming the UAE to do well due to proactive business climate. Establishing business relationships is what it is all about, and understanding that doing business in dubai is all about relationships is what you need to know. What you also need to know is it is about understanding the culture - from when to shake hands to what to do during Ramadan. The perception that one must greet all Arabs as if they are Sheikhs just because they are wearing their kandura or dish dahs is a ridiculous one, but one that happens all the time. Middle East business virgins, if you were, have a tendency of treating Gulf Arabs as kings. You, of course, need to give respect to your hosts, but make sure you understand who to give ultimate respect to. Don't be lax also. Being late for a meeting is not tolerated is not conducive to doing business in Dubai, even if you are stuck in traffic or cant find parking! It's important to be smart. If you are coming from the West, you will need to represent all that is best about the West and so, dressing smart is important. You're not in start up clothes here!..unless you know that you should be. While it is difficult to feel as if you are not on holiday in such heat, it's worth making the effort. If you are invited to chat, don't start the discussion about business. It's not your prerogative to do so. That's up to your host, especially the higher up the chain you go. You may not even have a choice on the first few occasions, as you are weighed up as an individual first, and a business partner second. They need to be comfortable with you before moving forward talking about anything specific. But bear in mind there are taboo subjects - don't talk about politics or someone's wife or wives for example. We talked about shaking hands. It's a tricky business. We have covered it in other parts of the site. Just don't think that a female will shake your hand. Wait for her to offer, even if she shakes someone else's hand. We've talked about sheikhs, and shaking hands. What about shaking your coffee cup - just so you know - shaking your coffee cup from side to side means that you are finished and you don't want any more, else you may have a a caffeien high from some of the turkish coffee that you receive. Doing business in Dubai is not necessarily a 24 hours 7 days a week type occurrence no matter what you might think. Doing work on a friday is a no-no. So, if you are hoping to fly in to Dubai or Abu Dhabi, consider coming in on a Friday or Sturday, so you can start your meeting the day after. Most companies are Sunday to Thursday, others are Saturday to Wednesday or even Thursday. Sometimes in Dubai you just don't know. What you do know is when it is hot. July is when people start to leave Dubai for the Summer. Doin business in Dubai or Abu Dhabi at across the Summer months is tough, no matter what people might tell you. Even though things are happening, both locals and expats start to leave in July and August. The same thing for Ramadan. Doing business in Ramadan is a tough window to crack - especially if you are not invited to the post fast shisha tents. We hope we have given you are taster of common sense about doing business in Dubai, and hope you will read some of the other in depth articles about Dubai business and business in Dubai.