Small Business Today Magazine SEP 2014 ELP ENTERPRISES | Page 18
EDITORIALFEATURE
Differences Between Arabic-Speaking
Business Cultures: The Arabic Mosaic
By Ludmila (Mila) Rusakova Golovine
O
ne of the most interesting and potentially lucrative places to do business currently is in the Arab world.
From its massive oil reserves in the
Persian Gulf and North Africa to the shipping hubs of the United Arab Emirates, the
Arab countries are becoming ever more
important for global trade and the energy
that fuels it. Consequently, there is unprecedented interest in the region for both
business and tourism. Nevertheless, one
must be well prepared before engaging in
business there. While it is true that the
people that comprise the Arab countries
do share a so-called common language,
there are vast differences among them
which must be considered.
Although it is difficult to categorize completely the cultural differences between the
Arab people, it is easiest to conceptualize
them linguistically. Typically, those who speak
a similar dialect lead a similar lifestyle with
common customs and behaviors. While
there is no single Arabic language, there is
a version called Modern Standard Arabic
which is the language employed in print and
news media. It is also the language used in
schools and spoken between Arabs from
different dialectical regions. Then there are
dialects that differentiated themselves from
Classical Arabic in the past and are spoken
at home and in their respective communities. The main dialectic groups are Gulf,
Levantine, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and
Maghrebi.
The countries, whose people speak Gulf
Arabic, comprise the Arabian Peninsula and
include: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the
United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, and Yemen. Since desert makes up most of these
countries’ geography and the climate is fairly
hot most of the year, the vast majority of
people wear long flowing robes. This is the
traditional dress of the Bedouins or nomads
that have inhabited the deserts of Arabia
for millennia. Typically, the cultures of these
countries are very traditional and conservative in both religious and political terms.
Since the two holiest cities of the Islamic
religion, Mecca and Medina, are located in
Saudi Arabia, the religion permeates daily life
and language. Before going to this region,
you must be prepared to see people in traditional dress and hear religious references
that you would not normally encounter.
The next dialect is Levantine Arabic. This
name is derived from the Levant, which is
a term that includes all the countries that
speak this dialect, namely: Syria, Lebanon,
Jordan, and Palestine/Israel. Since water and
vegetation are more plentiful in this area, cities are more abundant and there is more of
an urban culture. Consequently, more people wear Western or European dress such as
suits, slacks, t-shirts, or even jeans. This area
is more heterogeneous in religious make-up
than the Gulf States. While the vast majority
of Levantine Arabs are Sunni Muslim, there
are minorities of Shiite Muslim believers as
well as Christian, Jewish, Druze, and Alawite groups, particularly in Lebanon and Syria.
Due to Western dress, it is normally difficult
to distinguish who belongs to which group,
so you must be open to all possibilities.
There is the Mesopotamian dialect to the
East of the Levant. This version is spoken
primarily in Iraq and Eastern Syria. Much
like in the Levant, Iraq’s geography has rivers and vegetation which have led to an urban lifestyle. Moreover, for decades Iraq has
had secular government, resulting in a more
Westernized lifestyle for its people. While
the people are primarily of Shiite Muslim
faith, there are also minority Sunni Muslim
16 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ SEPTEMBER 2014 ]
and Christian communities. So here again
you must be careful not to assume someone’s religious identity before finding out.
The most recognized Arabic dialect is
Egyptian. Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is the
Hollywood of the Arab World. It produces most of the Arabic films and TV shows
in the region. Egypt is also the most populous Arab country with 86 million inhabitants and has a history reaching all the way
back to the pharaohs. Consequently, Egyptians have a strong sense of national identity.
While about 90 percent of the population
is Sunni Muslim, there is a sizeable Coptic
Christian population. Once again, caution
must be taken in making any assumptions
regarding religious affiliation.
Finally, there is the Maghrebi dialect spoken in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The Arabic spoken here is radically different from
the other dialects due to the distance from
the original Arabic homelands and the area’s
long history of French colonization. The European influence is significant here and the
culture reflects it in its Western dress and
attitudes. While predominantly Sunni Muslim, the population is not highly conservative
in terms of religion.
Although the Arab world is fairly complex,
it does not have to be difficult to navigate.
With an open mind and a willingness to
adapt accordingly, you can come to appreciate the Arabic mosaic
As a graduate of the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship
at the University of Houston, Ludmila (Mila) Rusakova
Golovine, Founder, CEO, and President of MasterWord
Services, Inc., started her company with a vision of
seamlessly connecting peopl