Researching and Working on the Arabian Peninsula: Creating Effective Interactions, https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-96-5326-3

If you travel a lot for business, you should be all set in the Arabian Peninsula – just remember that you never want to do anything to draw attention to yourself. Unless you are a social media influencer, stifle the urge to share details about your life or emote. This is not Italy and this is not the place for hijinks.

If you don’t travel a lot – make sure you have your basics covered for what you need to get good sleep. Jet lag + hot, humid weather + new cultures + no sleep does not usually equal good life choices. Bring what you need: lavender spray for hotel rooms perfumed with oud, eye mask, an app on your phone that makes white noise, painkillers/ aspirin/ Imodium in your purse/ briefcase at all times.

Get a seat towards the front of the plane, be ready to get in the aisle and move as soon as it is your turn, move as quickly as you can to the immigration line – immigration procedures can take 10 minutes or 2 hours, get is line as fast as you can.

Get a duty-free cologne – a good scent is mandatory. People in the Middle East are very sensitive to scents and you do not want to be the reason someone moves places in a meeting.

Unless you are in fashion/ media, you need clean, bland clothes. Remember that locals have worn the same type of outfit in public (black abayha for women/ white dishdash for men) for all of their adult life and most men and women keep their hair covered in public. You will never be able to tell the price differences of these outfits, so stay in your lane: clothes, watch, shoes that you can afford which do not draw attention. I strongly recommend that women carry a pashmina/ shawl with them at all times; the AC can be brutally cold.

Know yourself and know your body – one of the worst-case scenarios is you are tired because of jet lag, drink coffee to wake up and end up so wired you sound like Alvin the Chipmunk. Pace yourself with the caffeine.

No sudden movements, no big movements, no stretches, no cracking your neck or knuckles and for the love of all that is good in the world, no yoga poses in public. Keep your body calm and under control.

Do not bring the focus of the conversation to you – if you are asked your opinion about anything regarding the country you are in, your response is positive and brief. This is not the time to share your experiences or opinions unless they are specifically related to your work.

Do not, whatever the temptation offered, start talking about your hobbies except in the most general sense. Trust me. For example, if you run marathons and someone mentions marathons, do not start talking about marathons. People who run marathons start chatting and within minutes they might be comparing stories of how much they threw up and grisly descriptions of blisters. Understand that people may bring up topics as a way to judge and understand you, so that someone with zero interest in X will mention X as a way to see how you respond. Keep your focus on work.

Do not express surprise or get thrown off track by someone casually mentioning a fact about you that is hidden/ not on your resume/ not widely known. Do not ask, “How do you know that?” Blandly say “yes” and return to work topics.

Do not get tangled up in trying to get all the cultural conventions right; even very small companies will have employees from 20 different countries. Try to hold back and watch what others are doing but if something goes wrong, do not create a fuss. If you are male and try to shake hands with a female who refuses, say “I’m sorry” and move on.

If you are trying to recover from 12 hours in a plane by leaning over to touch your toes, then you straighten up and realize that 5 people have quietly walked into the conference room and are staring at you, say “I’m sorry” and walk over to begin introductions.

If pour a cup of coffee down your shirt, say “excuse me a moment,” go to nearest bathroom and do what you can, then walk back in and resume meeting as if nothing happened.

Keep calm in the face of whatever happens – laugh later, cry later, vent later, scream later. In a business setting – or after-work dinner! –  you should be as emotionally available as an ice-cube. [Note, this is for short business trips. If you work for an extended period or full time, then of course your personality and interests will shine through, however a 2-day/ week-long business trip should be treated as if you are on a long job interview.]

Practicalities of Moving to the Arabian Peninsula: Using the Arabic Language

Practicalities of Moving to the Arabian Peninsula: How to Sit, Not Wear Shoes and Use Your Hands

Ethnography – Staying Calm

Ethnography – Navigating Shaking Hands on the Arabian Peninsula