Understanding Arabs

Understanding Arabs (projection — short version) By Mr. Malek El-Khoury, Glion, July 2, 2019 Contact Inotttut Vita Poetreleu SA. Route de autt 28 1 23 'ton. Switzerland • tb CHE.109.43S 706 TVA Dugttaly Signed by Phttope NERI (Quatthed Signaturel 2019.07.03 (wan tune stamp) I‘,7, .2019 Malek EI.Khoury 8 Institut Villa Piorrefeu SA EFTA00522007 The Arab world includes 4 regions... North Africa (5 countries) The Middle East (5) The Gulf states (7) The African states (5) ATLANTIC OCEAN MOROCCO O 2019 MaInk EI.Khoury & Institut Villa Pierrefeu SA EFTA00522008 For Arabs, public is not private • The attitude of Arabs is rarely the same in public and in private • The difference between the public and the private sphere is the difference between showing and being • Men are mainly responsible for the public sphere (outside) • Women are mainly responsible for the private sphere (inside), but it is changing (mainly in Saudi Arabia) )1,.I I' 7 ) O 2019 Malek EI.Khoury & Institut Villa Pierrefeu SA EFTA00522009 Showing-off is very important... misplaying wealth inspires confidence Confidence attracts business and social position Business and social position are power • Car • House • nress • Women's jewels • Standard of living • «Servants» • Behaviour {) 2019 Mal. EI.Khoury & Institut Villa Pierreteu SA EFTA00522010 Men take care of the public sphere... Men's responsibilities traditionally are: • Protection of the group he belongs to (family, clan, etc.) • Their place in the society (image) • Provider of money and has to assume all financial issues j ) © 2019 Malek EI.Khoury & Institut Villa Pierrefeu SA EFTA00522011 ...while women look for the private sphere Women's responsibilities are: • Relations between the people of the same group and with the members of other groups • Education and development of the children (she prepares them for their future roles) • Private matters within the group (sicknesses, weddings, etc.) • In general, women are responsible for harmony within the group , ) *1.3 .2019 Malek EI.Khoury & Institut Villa Pierreteu SA EFTA00522012 Western and Arab women Western • Greater freedom and equality • Less respect • At home: same rights as outside • Try to convince and prove their competence Arab world • Less freedom, even if becoming better • Greater respect • At home: almost absolute power • Try to please and seduce L. 1 ) 92019 MaInk EI.Khoury & Institut Villa Pierrefeu SA EFTA00522013 Receptions are key moments for networking • Most valuable means for maintaining a NETWORK • Style differs from region to region • Depend on the place (public or private, house or flat, etc) • Depend on the size of the group invited • Depend on the purpose of the invitation (busi or entertainment) • It is mainly woman's responsibility to receive 111, f•s t., ) O 2019 MaInk EI.Khoury & Institut Villa Pierrefeu SA EFTA00522014 Proper timing for arrival • It is impolite to arrive on time • But it is even more impolite to arrive too late • The more important you are, the later you arrive • It is good to arrive with a gift in your hand, but not flowers (have to be sent earlier) • A gift will rarely be opened on the spot, so it is customary to leave a small note to show who offered the gift , I, I 13 .2019 Malel( El-Khoury & Institut Villa Piorrefou SA EFTA00522015 After receptions... • The guests should call to thank (normally the woman's role) • The host calls to thank for the gift • Those chats are essential because they allow you to continue a conversation but in "private" • You often get more infos during those calls than during the reception (difference of public vs private) Thank you For the gift •• • O 2019 Malek El-Khoury & Institut Vdla Piorrefou SA EFTA00522016 Gifts for a reception • rifts are important. Without them you could be labelled as "stingy" (one of the worst faults for Arabs) • A gift should have a "correct" value, representing the value of the host as well as the guest • A personalized gift shows that you know the person well and that you care about her /J IS © 2019 Wick EI.Khoury & Institut Villa Pierrefeu SA EFTA00522017 Men and women have complementary role... • After having established new relations, men and women "exchange" information about the newcomer • Often it is the woman's remarks that weigh more in the evaluation of the character of the newcomer • But in the end, it is still the man who decides to collaborate or not with this person T ) ire O 2019 Malck EI.Khoury & Institut Villa Piorrefeu SA EFTA00522018 ...and both should talk about the "right" things. • The objective of any conversation or relation is strengthening the network • Men must strengthen the public image • Men discuss politics, business, the military • Women should discover more about the private sphere of the others • Women talk about private issues, "secret" relations, under-the-table issues T s I 13 © 2019 Ma'eh El-Khoury & Institut Villa Piorrefou SA EFTA00522019 Professional gifts carry messages • They are "strategic" and bear a particular value or message • They show the importance of the relation between two partners • They can be for an introduction or a thank-you • They may represent the company or the value of the company y 1 ) O 2019 Malek El.Khoury & Institut Villa Pierrefeu SA EFTA00522020 Intercultural hybridization Culture A Culture B Culture AB 2019 Malek EI.Khoury 8 Institut Villa Piornaleu SA EFTA00522021 Hybrids have evolved... VI) • Pure traditional Arabs are very rare nowadays • The young generation could be divided into 3 categories: 1. Those educated abroad 2. Those with a mixed education (local and foreign) 3. Those with a pure local education €0 2019 Wick EI.Khoury & Institut Villa Pierre!. SA EFTA00522022 Behavior of hybrids • Hybrids are wonderful, knowledgeable, adaptable people • But the extent and impact of hybridization varies with each person • Hybridization mostly affects the behavioral level (the global) • Emotions and basic assumptions never hybridize ,L 2019 MaInk EI.Khoury & Institut Villa Piorrefeu SA EFTA00522023 ...and have many facets • Arab « hybrids » (those you meet the most frequently) can play very much on their different « backgrounds » and « belonging » • « Hybrids » may react as Westerners or as Arabs or as a combination of both. • TO r0 2019 Malck EI.Khoury & Institut Villa Piorrofeu SA EFTA00522024 Last but not least, loyalty comes first! • Loyalty to the group you belong to is the most important value • Therefore you may sometimes feel that friendship is less important • The objective of networking and relations is to strengthen the solidarity and power of the group 92019 Malek EI.Khoury & Institut Villa Piorrefeu SA EFTA00522025