Culture for gemany and saudi arabia by Mahmoud Naseh and Tim

Culture for Germany and Saudi Arabia

B Y T I M O T H Y P U E T S C

& M A H M O U D N A S E H

GERMAN FACTS Located in Central Europe Capital is Berlin Population is about 83 Million Over 91% of population is German German is the official language 65 to 70% of population is Christian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEYvi4kl-f4

WHERE IS GERMANY?

GENERAL CULTURE OF GERMANY• Order, privacy and punctuality• Thrifty, hard working and industrious• Strive for perfection in both personal and business life• Never admit to faults, not even jokingly• Titles are very important• Always use the highest title and only use one title• Appear reserved and not very friendly on first impression• Never put your hands in your pockets when talking to

someone

GERMAN CULTURE CONT.• OK sign is a rude gesture• Thumbs up is appreciation or agreement• Light fists pounding expresses good luck• Index finger pointed at head is an insult• Man or young person walk to left of lady• Don’t loose temper in public• Compliment sparingly• Stand when elder or higher rank person enters

GERMAN BUSINESS CULTURE• Punctuality is very important • Always deliver information, products, proposals on time• Send profiles ahead to establish credibility• Meeting are formal and often are scheduled weeks in

advance• Rank is important in business• Levity is not common in workplace• Vertical Hierarchy• Organization is logical, methodical and compartmentalized• Procedures and routines followed exactly• If it isn’t broke don’t try to fix it

GERMAN BUSINESS CULTURE CONT.• Have all research and facts prior to meetings• Objective criticism is not given or received• Privacy is valued• Office doors closed • Only call a person’s home in an emergency• Gifts not usually exchanged at business meeting• Dress is formal

Men in dark suits Women in dresses or suits

WOMEN IN GERMANY Not traditionally in high positions of responsibility or power

in business Establish position and ability right away to be successful No problem inviting a man to dinner for business Not a problem paying

OKTOBERFEST• Began in 1815 in celebration of Bavarian Crown Prince

Ludwig to the Saxon-Hildburghausen Princess Therese • World’s largest festival• Held annually in Munich Germany• 16 Day Party• 6 million people attend

GERMAN FOOD• Wurst (prounounce it like it rhymes with first and starts

with a “v”)• Spaetzle—noodles• Schnitzel—breaded, pan fried meat• Brotchen and brot—bread, very popular• Kraut—can be more sweet or sour depending on the region

where it is made• Palm Fritz—German version of french fries• Wein—vine, there were many vineyards in several regions,

which makes wine popular

GENERAL INFORMATION• Saudi Arabia officially known as

the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia “KSA”.

• Located at the in the Middle East as

a crossroads of Europe, Asia and

Africa. It is surrounded by the

Arabian Gulf on the East and the

Red Sea on the West. It borders

Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait to the north,

Yemen to the south, and Oman,

United Arab Emirates and Qatar to

the East.

• Population: 29.2 million inhabitants

• Government: Monarchy since

23,Sep 1932

GEOGRAPHY

Land area:• With a land area of about 2.25 million

square kilometers, Saudi Arabia is about one-fourth the size of the United States.

• The size of Saudi Arabia in compare to Europe is about the size of Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Germany and United Kingdom together.

• The mountains in the west of the Kingdom are very rich in minerals with large deposits of limestone, gypsum, iron ore, gold and copper. The eastern region has the richest reservoirs of oil in the world.

Main Cites Makah Riyadh

Jeddah Khobar

CULTURE VALUE • Saudi traditions are rooted in Islamic

teachings and Arab customs, which Saudis learn about at an early age from their families and in schools.

• Generosity and hospitality, is an age-old traditions have evolved over the millennia and are highly regarded.

• The simplest expression of hospitality is coffee its preparation alone is an intricate cultural tradition, and it is often served in small cups along with dates and sweets. Another gesture of hospitality is the burning of incense (oud) to welcome guests.

CULTURE OF SAUDI ARABIA

Alcoholic beverages are prohibited. The weekend is Friday and Saturday. Only two religious holidays are publicly recognized Do not point at another person and do not eat with the left hand.  Men walking hand in hand is a sign a friendship.  Try not to cross your legs when sitting. Never show the bottom of your feet. Almost all restaurants have a separate entrance and eating area for families, and another entrance

and eating area for men who are unaccompanied by women.  Men shake hands. Good friends may greet each other with a handshake and a kiss on each cheek. Women generally hug and kiss close friends. Men and women would not greet each other in public If from outside the family. Gifts are not opened when received All shops and business establishments must necessarily be closed during times of prayer (5 times a

day).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0BkvVn1DHw

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE AND PROTOCOL

Relationships & Communication• You will need a Saudi sponsor (wakeel) to enter the country.

• Saudis do not require as much personal space as most western cultures.

• Saudis prefer to work with people they know and trust and will spend a great deal of time. 

• You must be patient. 

• Saudis will most likely judge you on appearances, dress and present yourself well.

• Do not discuss the subject of women.

• Names are often confusing. It’s best to get the names. Find out both their full names and how they are to be addressed in person.

• Communications and conversations occur at a slow pace. Do not feel obligated to speak during periods of silence. "Yes" usually means "possibly”.

• At a meeting, the person who asks the most questions is likely to be the least important. The decision maker is likely a silent observer

GERMANY VS. SAUDI ARABIA CULTURE Culture Approach Germany Saudi ArabiaRelation with Time Conservative and

strict More causal

Political Federal Republic Monarchy Geography Europe Middle East Language German ArabicReligion Christian Islam Food and Drink Traditional German

dishesTraditional Saudi dishes

Holiday’s Traditional German Traditional Saudi Business approach Very structured Saudi’s Sponsor is

required