Today's CultureQuiz: GULF ARABIA!
Saudi, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain...and more! Test yourself on how much you know about Gulf Arabian culture with these five CultureQuiz questions!
It’s Ramadan, the most holy time on the Muslim calendar. “Ramadan Mubarak!” (“Have a blessed Ramadan”) to all who observe, and throughout Gulf Arabia, that means most people. So what better time than now to look more deeply into Gulf Arabian culture. And while differences in the Gulf Arabian region abound, there are some very important cultural considerations you need to know about - like Ramadan - that are important everywhere throughout Gulf Arabia. Sure, working in the UAE is different from working in Saudi; in fact, even within the UAE, working in Abu Dhabi (the capital) is different from working in Dubai, and in Saudi Arabia, working in Riyadh is different from working in Jeddah. So see how well you understand the cultural rules of the game for the region with these five CultureQuiz questions! (The correct answers follow the quiz, so if you haven’t already subscribed, you can do so right here!)
GULF ARABIA CultureQuiz Questions:
Trying to arrange a virtual meeting from your office in London with your team in Riyadh? Best time in Riyadh for both you and the team to meet would be:
a. Friday morning.
b. Thursday afternoon.
c. Monday afternoon.
d. Monday morning.
You are invited into a traditional meeting room in Kuwait, which requires that you sit on cushions placed low to the the floor. You should…
a. Remove your shoes upon entering, and sit cross-legged.
b. Leave your shoes on, and sit cross-legged.
c. Leave your shoes on, and apologize for asking for a western-style chair.
d. Take your shoes off, and apologize for asking for a western-style chair.
As the female leader of your global team, you expect to be included in the decision-making at an upcoming meeting in Bahrain. Given your concerns about the traditionally subordinate gender-based role that businesswomen in Gulf Arabia have had to assume, what can you do to help insure that your authority will be recognized at the meeting?
a. Prior to the meeting, you or your superior should communicate to their Bahraini counterpart that your leadership position is essential to the success of the meeting.
b. Assume a subordinate role to any Bahraini male associates at the meeting.
c. Assume a subordinate role to all male associates at the table.
c. Offer your thoughts at the meeting, and assure your Bahraini associates that any final decision taken at the meeting will have to be approved by your superiors at HQ.
Almost immediately as soon as the meeting began, an endless serving of tea, followed by coffee, followed by tea, and then more coffee was being offered. Having achieved maximum caffeine overload, you politely decline additional tea and coffee best by…
a. putting your hand over your cup the next time the server comes around to you.
b. allowing the server to re-fill your cup, and then passing your cup to the person on your left with your left hand.
c. shaking your empty cup gently from side to side when the server comes around to offer you a re-fill.
d. allowing the server to re-fill your cup, and then passing your cup to the person on your right with your right hand.
After many attempts to get a commitment from your UAE associate, he agrees to sending you the report you’ve been requesting by the date you require: “Yes, yes, of course, for you, I will have the report on your desk by Tuesday, as you request, inshallah”. Tuesday comes and goes, however, and no report arrives. Then when you communicate your frustration to your associate, he no longer responds to your emails. But didn’t he promise to deliver the report on Tuesday? What to do?
a. No worries…just keep communicating your frustration. Eventually, you’ll get the report.
b. Find ways around him, by going to his supervisor, for example, and letting them know about your associate’s irresponsible behavior.
c. Stop communicating with your associate, and start to build a secondary relationship with a completely new contact with whom you might have more success in the future.
d. Though he did promise to do his best to get you the report on Tuesday, he also reminded you with the use of the Arab term, “Inshallah”, that all human effort is subject to the will of God (Allah), and therefore, if you do not receive the report by Tuesday, despite his best efforts, it simply was not meant to be. Put your energies into building trusting relationships with your Gulf Arabian colleagues, so that they function as “wastas” for you, connecting you to the people who can make things happen for you on a timely basis.
Easy? Hard? Neither? So, how many CultureQuiz Questions did you get right? Here are the answers below…
Here are your Gulf Arabia CultureQuiz ANSWERS:
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