Four Basics To Know When In The Arab World

Four Basics To Know When In The Arab World

The book is finally out!  When in the Arab World; An Insider’s Guide to Living and Working with Arab Culture.

Who would benefit from this book?  Everyone and anyone who wants to visit or do business with, or live in the Arab world.  Business executives at all levels, diplomats, government officials, students and of course the families and spouses who usually face the most difficulties when having to relocate to follow the career path of their family’s bread winner.

Before heading out to the region here are the four basics you need to know about the Arab world and it’s culture:

  1. The Arab World is not one big lump.  It is made up of 22 different countries – each has its unique local culture and traditions.  Having said that, there is a thread of similarities that does tie the region together and that can justify certain generalisations.
     
  2. Arab and Muslim are not the same.  Many make the mistake of thinking that Arab and Muslim are interchangeable and refer to the same thing.  False.  Not all Arabs are Muslim and certainly not all Muslims are Arab.  Let us not forget that Christianity was actually born from this region and was not something that came with the Crusades.
     
  3. The Arabic language has 2 versions: the classical Arabic – which is the written Arabic, which you will read in books and newspapers and hear on the television news – and that is the same across the entire Arab world. Then there is the colloquial Arabic, which is spoken in regular conversation.  Each country has its own distinct accent and in some cases its own dialect.  The Arabian Gulf countries have a similar dialect.  The North African Arab countries (also known as the Arab Maghreb) share a similar dialect.  The Levant share a similar dialect.  While Egypt and Iraq each have their different and distinct dialects.Arabs know that their language is quite difficult and don’t expect foreigners to speak it.  But you will find a lot of appreciation if you make the effort to learn a few basic words.
     
  4. It is not all about God and Oil.  It may seem hard to believe, but there is so much more to the Arab world than the horrific pictures that you see on the news.  The Arab world is a rich blend of ethnicities and religions.  Arabs are a very generous people and are more than eager to help out when asked. So don’t be afraid to ask for guidance, and you will find plenty of volunteers to help show you the right and most appropriate course of action for that particular situation and place.