For
the Businessman …
Doing business in Jeddah
varies between feeling exactly like anywhere else in the world to positively
out of this world! Some of the
stories you may have heard will be true, although it is probable that they
will have been hugely exaggerated.
Timekeeping
What is true is the variable
timekeeping in Jeddah. Some
offices work split shifts, some straight through. Some start at 7am, others at
9am. Many work Saturday through
to Thursday lunchtime, while others a five-day week. All of which means you should check appointment times
carefully. Unfortunately, this
will not guarantee that an appointment will be kept.
You may well find yourself arriving on time for an appointment to be
told that your host is "not coming today", or is busy elsewhere, or
even "out of Jeddah" or "out of Saudi Arabia".
This can happen even when said individual was apparently looking
forward to your meeting, when you diligently confirmed the meeting at the end
of the previous day! Although
this must be accepted as just a hazard of this part of the world, do not be
tempted to adopt it yourself as you will be expected to be on time. Many Saudi businessmen do run a very organised diary, with
appointments throughout the day running to exact timings.
Meetings
The course of meetings can
also be unpredictable. It is most
common for there to be a fairly lengthy "how are you?" exchange and
tea or coffee will be offered on most occasions, insistently, by your host.
It is still considered fairly rude to decline unless you know the host
well. The drinks are likely to be
prepared by a 'tea boy', with many of these 'boys' well into their 70s.
Their repertoire consists of a range of teas and coffees - for the
uninitiated Turkish Coffee can be a bit of a shock on first taste, but it is
delicious. The small cups ensure
a morning of meetings does not have to mean a morning of running to the
bathroom! Beware though, as it is
powerful stuff and if you are not used to it you may not sleep for a week.
It is quite common for there
to be other people in the office for part, or all, of your meeting.
This could be the previous guest who has not finished their coffee
and/or is interested in what you have to say, or it could be another employee
or even a relative. Be polite,
shake hands with each person in the room, and give business cards to
everybody. It is surprising where
a useful contact can come from, and I have lost count of the times I have had
a beneficial exchange of one sort or another, with a third party whose
presence I was somewhat mystified by.
Possibly the most important -
do not expect to get to the purpose of your visit quickly, or even at all, in
your first meeting. This is not
an absolute rule however, and the 'Westernisation' of business dealings means
some people like to get to the point briskly and then close the meeting.
At present they remain in the minority though, and it is more common
for a meeting to last some time, with frequent interruptions from telephones
(mobile and landline) and other visitors.
Whatever form the meeting takes just go with the flow.
If you try to bring somebody to the point too quickly, you risk making
him feel uncomfortable while ultimately still having to wait for him to come
round.
Pace
of Business
Initially the "bukra inhsallah" (tomorrow, God willing) of the business
world can be enormously frustrating. However,
it has lasted centuries and is only slowly fading.
This means that whatever you are doing will take longer than you
anticipated, whether it is waiting for a new car to be delivered or grabbing a
quick sandwich for lunch. There have been massive improvements in some areas - for
example, the time taken to obtain a new mobile phone or land telephone line
has reduced from six months to on demand in just the last year.
Working
Environment
It is unlikely that you will
have worked in such a male dominated business society anywhere else in the
world. Until very recently it was
unheard of for women to work. Whilst
that is changing, with all the major banks operating 'Ladies Only' branches,
and many other companies bringing women into the workplace, they are still in
a very small minority. For the
vast majority of Jeddah's office workers and all of the factory workers, the
workplace is 100% male. This is not a problem, just something of a surprise
for many newcomers.