Cross Cultural Etiquette Forum
The chosen country is Qatar. One of the business etiquette customs pertains to greetings. Handshakes are the norm, even though a number of women are uncomfortable with this-men are advised to always wait to see if the woman will extend her hand first (Oxford Business Group, 2015). In some occasions, several Qataris will prefer holding their hand on their chest rather than shaking hands-this is a normal form of greeting as well. “As-salam alaikum,” which basically means peace be upon you is the customary greeting to which a person can reply with “Wa alaikum as-salam,” (peace be upon you too), and when entering a meeting, general introduction normally start with a handshake.
Another business etiquette custom relates to workplace attire. Even though Qatar is a country that is conservative, it is more tolerant compared to its neighbor, Saudi Arabia. The law does not require women from other countries to wear the ‘Abaya,’ the full body cloak, and unlike Saudi Arabia, all women are allowed to drive cars (Oxford Business Group, 2015). It is thus important to note that the key to dressing in Qatar for men and women is modesty. As such, it is paramount to make sure that most of the body is covered when in any setting of business and in nearly all public settings too.
Business hours are yet another important business etiquette custom to be aware of. In Qatar, the working week conventionally begins on Sunday and comes to an end on Thursday-the official resting days are thus Friday and Saturday, even though in some cases, people can work on Saturdays. The normal business hours in the country are 8am-12pm and 4pm-7pm. life moves much slower in the country, and therefore, punctuality is not that vital. Even though it is polite to be on time, the Arabic counterparts may arrive a bit late.
Reference
Oxford Business Group. (2015). The report: Qatar 2015. Oxford Business Group.
