Working with the UAE
Understand the culture of the Emirates and adapt one's behavior to develop long-lasting professional relationships with the UAE.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a made up of seven emirates located at the Southeast end of the Arabian Peninsula. Arabic is the official language and the Islam as its official religion. Over four fifths of the UAE is desert, but with contrasting landscapes. The UAE is one of the the oil-richest countries in the world. Within the seven emirates, Abu Dhabi is the largest oil and natural gas producer. Its oil resources, the UAE is the most developed national economy in the Middle East and one of the richest countries in the world.
The UAE economy is more than oil and gas production. The construction sector as well as its trade and service industries have supported its economic growth. Another characteristic of the UAE is its high level of workers migrant workers. The UAE has also been successful in its transformation towards a modern, diverse and multicultural society. The UAE is one of Europe’s major trading partners. Strategically situated between Europe and Asia UAE will most likely gain importance in the future as a geopolitical broker in the region.
Aim
Understand UAE culture and adapt your behaviour to develop lasting relationships and succeed in your professional projects.
Duration
1 day – 7 hours, face to face or by video conferencing.
Group
2 – 14 participants
Prerequisites
Any professional that is doing or going to do business or live in the UAE. Proficiency level required (TOEIC 750) for the course in English.
Course language
English or French
Course certificate
Certificate of course completion
Participant Profile
This “Working with the UAE” program is designed for any manager in charge of projects with UAE customers, suppliers and /or colleagues.
Benefits
• Become aware of your cultural characteristics and its similarities and differences with UAE professional culture and values.
•Understand the specificity of the UAE culture and attitudes and avoid disagreements due to cultural differences.
• Develop communication strategies to work more effectively with UAE partners
• Be able to successfully conduct professional meetings, pitches and negotiations with UAE partners.
Content
Before the seminar “Working with the UAE”:
Each participant will carry out a personal cultural assessment with the online tool Meyer Personal Culture Profile™. This tool will enable each participant to understand her/his personal values and cultural preferences and compare them to a standardized UAE professional profile.
During the seminar:
Our trainings are highly participatory and experiential. Our approach alternates between theory and practice, simulation exercises and group discussions. A variety of case studies are programmed in the “working with the UAE” intercultural training course.
Our goal is to engage participants mentally, emotionally and behaviorally, aligning them with the complexities and richness of intercultural exchanges with UAE professionals.
Some possible key topics:
• Historical, geopolitical, and societal characteristics and their impact on the UAE business mentality
• The role of Islam: religion, social system and its influence on civic values, business culture, the pace of work and everyday life
• Women and their role in the business world of the United Arab Emirates
• Differences between the Emirates, tribal affiliation, and the respect of hierarchy and age.
• Economy controlled by the UAE state
• Understanding UAE management culture i.e. motivating, delegating and respecting hierarchical structures in the Arab business environment
• Problems and friction zones working in project teams with clients, suppliers and colleagues from the United Arab Emirates
• Particularities of UAE Communication styles and feedback process
• Building and maintaining trust with UAE clients and partners through strong personal relationships
• Knowing the particularities of negotiations in UAE business environment
• Top down decision making process and Identifying and valuing decision-makers
• Meetings and presentations that work in UAE