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Working in Saudi Arabia :-
Project management has a long tradition in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.
Financed by oil money, European and American firms have contributed greatly to
the modernization of Arab countries. Despite this tradition, foreigners often find it very hard to work on projects in Saudi Arabia. A number of cultural differences
can be cited for this difficulty.
One is the Arabian view of time. In North America, it is common to use the
cliché, “The early bird gets the worm.” In Saudi Arabia, a favorite expression is,
“Bukra insha Allah,” which means, “Tomorrow if God wills,” an expression that
reflects the Saudis’ approach to time. Unlike Westerners, who believe they control
their own time, Arabs believe that Allah controls time. As a result, when Saudis
commit themselves to a date in the future and fail to show up, there is no guilt or
concern on their part because they have no control over time in the first place. In
planning future events with Arabs, it pays to hold lead time to a week or less,
because other factors may intervene or take precedence.
An associated cultural belief is that destiny depends more on the will of a su-
preme being than on the behavior of individuals. A higher power dictates the out-
come of important events, so individual action is of little consequence. As a result,
progress or the lack of progress on a project is considered more a question of fate
than effort. This leads Saudis to rely less on detailed plans and schedules to com-
plete projects than Americans do.
Another important cultural contrast between Saudi Arabians and Americans is
emotion and logic. Saudis often act on the basis of emotion; in contrast, those in
an Anglo culture are taught to act on logic. During negotiations, it is important
not only to share the facts but also to make emotional appeals that demonstrate
your suggestion is the right thing to do.
Saudis also make use of elaborate and ritualized forms of greetings and leave-
takings. A businessperson may wait far past the assigned meeting time before
being admitted to a Saudi office. Once there, the individual may find a host of
others present; one-on-one meetings are rare. Moreover, during the meeting
there may be continuous interruptions. Visitors arrive and begin talking to the
host, and messengers may come in and go out on a regular basis. The business-
person is expected to take all this activity as perfectly normal and to remain
composed and ready to continue discussions as soon as the host is prepared to
do so.
Initial meetings are typically used to get to know the other party. Business-
related discussions may not occur until the third or fourth meeting. Business
meetings typically conclude with an offer of coffee or tea. This is a sign that the
meeting is over and that future meetings, if there are to be any, should now be
arranged.
Saudis attach a great deal of importance to status and rank. When meeting
with them, defer to the senior person. It is also important never to criticize or be-
rate anyone publicly. This causes the individual to lose face; the same is true for
the person who makes these comments. Mutual respect is expected at all times.
Other useful guidelines for working in an Arab culture such as Saudi Arabia
include the following:
1. It is important never to display feelings of superiority because this makes
the other party feel inferior. No matter how well someone does something, the
individual should let the action speak for itself and not brag or draw attention
to himself.
2. A lot of what gets done is a result of going through administrative channels in
the country. It is often difficult to sidestep a lot of this red tape, and efforts to
do so can be regarded as disrespect for legal and governmental institutions.
3. Connections are extremely important in conducting business. More important
people get fast service from less important people. Close relatives take absolute
priority; non-relatives are kept waiting.
4. Patience is critical to the success of business negotiations. Time for delibera-
tions should be built into all negotiations to prevent a person from giving away
too much in an effort to reach a quick settlement.
5. Important decisions are usually made in person and not by correspondence or
telephone. While Saudis seek counsel from many people, the ultimate power to
make a decision rests with the person at the top, and this individual relies heavily on personal impressions, trust, and rapport.
