culture business in saudi arabia

1. What forces shaped modern Saudi Arabia culture? How Similar or different are these forces from those that shape the culture of Western nations?

Religion has been the single most important factor that has influenced the Saudi Arabian culture. A combination of Islam and Bedouin traditions have influenced the Saudi’s, specifically when the Saud clan and Ibn Abd-al-Wahhab made a pact that would seek to  purify the Islam and return it to its roots as expressed in the Koran. The roots of the Saudi kingdom can be traced back to the nomadic Bedouin tribes making pacts with the al Saudi tribes. Ibn Abd-al-Wahhab, an Islamic scholar, made agreements with the Saudi family. In exchange for protection and agreeing to following Islamic teachings Wahhab backed the family which allowed them to have power that has lasted into modern times. Today, the strict Wahhab sect of Islam has a profound profound effect on the Saudi Saudi culture. For example, all shop and restaurant that operate in Arab will close in five daily prayers times, it include all western restaurant like MacDonald’s. This happen because to give all employee or workers to do their  prayer, so it different with western nations because western shop did not close in all five daily  prayers time, the employee just provided or give give a lunch break or others. Besides that, Arabic culture stated that women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed drive car, sail  boat or fly the airplane. It is different from the western nation country, in western nation country there are no legal or policy that stated woman can’t drive a car. Women can dive car to go everywhere. Besides that, the strict dress codes followed by women make it unlike any other Western culture because the values and the social norms are based on religious teachings that still continue. 2. What kinds of misunderstanding are likely to rise between and American Company and a Saudi Enterprise, neither of which has experience dealing with the other?

Business is very different than in the States. Here, your credentials serve you a trustworthy company or not. Most often, big name companies get the jobs because of their reputation and not their product. In the eastern culture one must sit down through several meeting to gain their trust. I r ead ead in an article online that, Saudi’s prefer national product before even sitting down to discuss a foreigner’s product. They rather have local product before even considering a foreigner’s product. They also don’t like being rushed into business and will  be resentful if a company sends in their Jr. Executive rather than their Chief Executive. Also, an American company may find it difficult to have a close doors meeting because the Saudi’s

maintain an “open door” policy which traces back to the Bedouin tra dition. Lastly, the Saudi’s a very family oriented in a way we are not. They will consult with their families if a  business opportunity is right for them and will even listen to their families more than an expert whom they don’t know as well as their own. 3. If you were in a position to advise a Western company that was considering doing business in Saudi Arabia for the first time, what would your advice be?

I would advise the company to make sure that they understand the culture of Saudi Arabia as it relates to Islam and Bedouin culture in particular. They need to done a research about Arab Saudi Culture, it’s very important for people in Western to know about Arab Saudi work culture. In Saudi Arabia, Arabia, women are denied economic freedom and rights. This can help  prevent misunderstandings in terms of how women are treated, what kinds of work is considered “beneath” many Saudi national and the traditions that are important to them, such as prayer times. I would also caution them to be aware of the anti-American sentiment that can be present in the Saudi culture since simple cultural mistakes may be amplified in that atmosphere. I also suggest that the western company need to know how the business operate in Arab Saudi because it different with western company operate in United States. In Arab Saudi the operation hour need to stop or closed in five prayers times to give employee to do their  prayers. It important to western company knows knows because its apart of legal that has in Arab. In summary, most of the companies have now realized intellectual analysis on culture and innovation is vitally crucial for the success of a business. According to openly directed strategy, innovation and culture should be intertwined and managed properly and fairly in the organization to reach the business goal. Most of the businesses fulfill the primary attitudes of the staff instead of managing a number of valuation, norms, assumption and beliefs.