The Arab way of doing business is little understood by the West. Misconceptions and preconceptions are rampant, the most common one being that foreigners like to lump the manner of making deals with Kuwaitis in the same basket as with Egyptians, Tunisians, and Syrians. One must not forget that each country has its own local culture, customs, and traditions.

Below are some helpful tips and a few examples of the cultural misunderstandings that can easily occur when doing business in Syria.

When Syrians say “yes,” for example, what they really mean is "maybe” or "it’s a possibility.” Westerners interpret "yes" as "okay” or “please carry on.”

Negotiating a deal with Syrians can take a very long time, as the notion of time and punctuality holds little meaning to them. You will hear many Syrians use the following phrases:

In Shallah and Bokra respectively mean "God willing" and "tomorrow.” A friend once asked for a service to be done, and the reply was "In Shallah, Bokra.” On the other hand, in the West, “time is money.” To Syrians, if something is completed today, tomorrow, or next week, it makes no difference.

Speech is indirect. Foreigners living in Syria for a long time call it “talking in circles.” During and before negotiations, expect to be asked many questions about your personal life, family, and background. Syrians are warm, hospitable people and like to get to know you before committing to a deal.

Deals are made primarily through food or drink. Business lunches and discussing ideas over numerous cups of tea or Arabic coffee are commonplace. To Anglo-Saxons, language is a primary source. They are direct, concise, and to the point. Little time is spent talking in circles or about one's personal life. Such things are considered too intrusive and personal.

Syrians exhibit a high level of nonverbal communication when dealing with people. Westerners should not be afraid of seeing them use their hands a lot when talking, invading one’s personal space, or being touchy-feely. When greeting one another, Syrians commonly blow air kisses.

Great emphasis is placed on societal traditions and customs. Men are not used to negotiating with or being given orders by a woman. Society is patriarchal and female entrepreneurs are rare. I know of the existence of only a handful. One in particular, who runs her own antiques shop in Damascus, informed me that at the beginning, selling to men was extremely difficult, as they found her threatening. Arab men like to be seen as the breadwinner in the family and do not like women who are too independent and strong minded.

Syrians are very emotional and highly strung people. Of course, there are always exceptions to this generalization, but when making speeches during deals or conferences, they prefer to make them from the heart. Anglo-Saxons tend to value prepared speeches and rational arguments.

Society is close-knit and small, so be careful what you say about someone, as you may be talking to his or her cousin. The concept of six degrees of separation very much applies here.

Syrians sometimes find it difficult to admit that they are wrong or might not know something. Many deals are lost out of fear of communicating the wrong message or being mistaken. A foreigner can wait several months before receiving a reply to an e-mail or fax regarding a query.

It is important for Westerners to realize that Syrians are very individualistic in orientation. They hate the idea of working in teams.

Another important cultural taboo to be aware of is the significance of the siesta time. One does not call between the hours of 2:00 and 5:00 pm, unless it is an emergency, whether it is winter or summer.

Syrians are highly superstitious by nature. When moving to a new office or new house or buying a new car, they believe in the age-old custom of killing a sheep, dipping their hands in its blood, and leaving their fingerprints on a wall in order to get rid of bad omens.

Equally substantial is the fact that the Arabic language is hierarchical in structure. Much emphasis is placed on titles and seniority. Constant judgment of what one does in life and what title one holds affects almost all aspects of Syrian life.

Below are some important highlights of Syrian culture:

• Strong sense of family loyalty, duty, and obligation.
   
• Importance of religion and superstitions when doing business.
   
• Strong sense of culture
   
• Siesta is regarded as sacred.
   
• Pride in country's long history, but not in its progress over the last 50 years.
   
• Individual orientation over group orientation.
   
• Little respect for the notions of time or punctuality.

About Author
Raya has lived in numerous countries: Syria, Spain, France, the USA, and most recently Canada, where she set up her own company. Raya has worked in executive search in New York and now works as a consultant for a senior-level recruitment company in London. E-mail her for more information.