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The Arab negotiating style
The Arab world extends from Mauritania on the Atlantic coast to Oman 
on the Indian Ocean and includes Sudan and Somalia. It is the dominant 
culture of the Middle East and the Mahgreb. It contains the heartland of 
Islam and its culture and customs are built upon Islamic teachings. Islam 
is both a religion and a way of life, and provides an ethical framework for 
business. Negotiations are therefore greatly influenced by Islamic teachings 
and traditions. Unlike most Western cultures, there is no separation of state 
and religion.
Being an Arab has less to do with ethnic origins and more to do with 
language, thought systems, values and, above all, a sense of pride in Arab 
history. Islam is shaped both by history and Arab thought. The Arab lan-
guage is spoken throughout the Arab world, providing a unified concept, 
although there are regional variations. Some attempt by foreigners to use 
Arabic, however faltering, is usually much appreciated, even if one gets no 
further than the ritual greetings.
In the Arab world, all business negotiations develop from personal rela-
tionships and meeting the ‘right people’. The first meeting with an Arab 

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The Effect of Culture on International Negotiations 187
businessman is used to build trust and subsequently to establish a working 
personal relationship before getting down to the real business. Time spent 
on developing close personal relationships and mutual trust is therefore a 
prerequisite for success. Foreigners should, for their part, always adopt a 
dignified approach and not press hard for quick decisions. Personal intro-
ductions and networking play a large part in business. Once close relations 
are established, the expectation is that the parties will continue to nurture 
these relationships. Care should be taken when shaking hands as it is 
considered disrespectful for a man to offer his hand to a woman unless she 
extends hers first.
Arabs are a high- context culture; they communicate less directly and are 
less adversarial. Combative, confrontational negotiations are not tactics 
followed by Arabs out of choice as they prefer to place emphasis on harmony 
and the avoidance of confrontation. Their style of communication is more 
circular than the Western linear approach. They prefer face- 
to- face com-
munication, followed by telephoning, followed by email and then written 
documentation. Many Arabs tend to develop their business alongside social 
relationships, so socializing with clients and agents after working hours is 
common practice.
Arab culture is essentially a polite culture, but it is usually advisable not 
to discuss religion or politics unless encouraged to do so. When negotiating, 
one should expect verbal interruptions by the other party, but rudeness is 
not intended as interruption. To an Arab, it indicates the interaction of ideas 
and evidence of a continuous exchange of information.
Silence is not welcomed during negotiations and is perceived as an 
awkward sign that may indicate that communication has, for some reason, 
broken down and that therefore the relationship must be rebuilt. Arabs 
welcome eye contact during negotiations, but too much eye contact may 
cause them some discomfort. Note- taking at meetings is seen as interfering 
with personal contact and should therefore, where possible, be delegated to 
junior personnel, thus raising the profile of senior negotiators.
Emphasizing common ground (‘shared experiences’) is particularly effec-
tive in the Arab world. This is well liked by Arabs as it assists in getting to 
know the members of the other negotiating team, thus establishing trust 
and helping to break the ice. When approaching a potential problem in 
negotiations, it is considered advantageous to emphasize the mutual bene-
fits that are likely to result from working together to achieve a solution. The 
Arab management style is paternalistic and visiting business people need to 
demonstrate they have the appropriate level of authority if they are to be 
given any credibility.
Prayers are said five times a day, and in some parts of the Arab world, 
especially in Saudi Arabia, meetings will often stop and businesses will close 
during the time of prayer. During the month of Ramadan, government 
offices and businesses may close their offices at midday. It is therefore 

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188 Cross-Cultural Communication
preferable to avoid business visits if at all possible during Ramadan. If 
non- Muslims do visit during that time, they should, out of respect, refrain 
from eating, drinking and smoking in public. Friday is the weekly day of 
rest. Care must be taken about gift- giving. All alcohol is strictly forbidden 
and gifts should always be presented using the right hand. It is common 
practice in the Arab world to exchange small gifts to establish an initial 
bond of friendship. Failure to do so would be considered bad manners.
It is important to understand the expression ‘Inshallah’ (if God wills), 
which is much misunderstood by Westerners. Intentions may not readily 
materialize into acts, so the expression can mean several things:
I should like this to happen.
I will try my best.
I cannot be sure about this proposal/plan.
I need time to think about this.
I don’t really want to respond to your proposal.
The answer will be ‘no’, but let us observe the normal courtesies.
‘Ma fi mushkilleh’ is another Arab phrase which may cause problems for for-
eigners. Literally translated, it means ‘there is no problem’. However, this phrase 
may actually hide the fact that there is an obstacle. Effective communication 
derived from personal relationships with your Arab counterparts will usually 
help indicate which of these meanings applies to the current situation.
Arabs will strive to avoid breaking off negotiations and will attempt, 
wherever possible, to build long- term relationships for future business. In 
many negotiating situations, Arabs, following Islamic teaching and tradi-
tions, may decide to use a mediator to settle situations where there is real or 
potential conflict. The mediator is considered neutral, has the trust of both