Are our expectation simply too high?

To put things into perspective Saudi Arabia only really entered the "modern" world when oil was discovered 80 odd years ago.

Since then they have been forced to transform from basically a tribal, bedouin way of life to one that conforms with our own. This is probably a lot to expect. We have had a couple of thousand years to get to this stage of doing business and interacting with peoples of other lands (for better or worse). Maybe at the core of our frustrations with Saudi is the fact that our expectations are simply too high. And unrightly so!

This does not diminish from the fact that doing business here is challenging to say the least. But then we do have the option to go do business elsewhere don't we? Maybe it is simply a case of "grin and bear it".

This post is not meant to be construed in any way negative. It is simply an acknowledgement that as outsiders we have to understand and adapt in the same way we expect Saudi's to do.

Sometimes doing business can drive you nuts

When settling in a new country the first thing I always do is to immerse myself in the "norms" of personal and business life. It's a new country so things are going to be different.

However Saudi Arabia really is different!!

To get a deal signed typically takes forever. There is no reason - it is just the way it is.

Even before the signature getting a decision is like going to the dentist - painfull and unpleasant. Who's the real decision maker? Why won't the recommenders recommend? If everyone agrees on the proposition on the table then why are we still talking (or not) months later?

Why are appointments cancelled at the last minute? Why is the guy not there when you show up to the appointment (not even the courtesy of a cancellation).

OK, it's signature time - oh, just one thing, we forgot to budget for the project. Aaaarrrhhh!!!!

After 18 months of talking suddenly no-one is available to talk anymore (emails, phone calls, sms's) - they have just dropped off the face of the map. No reason, just happens.

It will happen tomorrow (which actually means anytime bewteen now and...).

I wrote in an earlier post that patience is essential. That and stress medication!!

Reporting the news

Suprisingly for the Middle East news reporting in Saudi Arabia is quite frank and factual.

The dominant print & online newspaper is the Arab News. For the last 5 years or so it has reported on and discussed isssues that as a foreigner one would expect to be handled with kid gloves or simply not reported on or discussed at all.

The media in every part of the world induldges in its share of biased reporting (special interests, ignorance, fear, etc).

However the country, under the guidance of the current King, is making an effort to encourage open and factual reporting.

As one would expect there are areas of sensitivity. But rather than avoid them all together efforts are being made to discuss sensitive isssues in the press, online, and in the visual media.

There are female radio announcers. We even have talk shows hosted by women.

Now for the average foreigner unused to the Middle East the question might well be "so what?" The answer is that an understanding of the background of the cultures here will help answer that scepticism and replace it with a healthy respect for the efforts underway to encourage the media to follow the path of more "open" reporting as well as embrace the input and perspective women bring to the reporting table.

Institutions such as the Arab News are encouraging accurate, factual reporting and a healthy interchange of ideas. No country is totally free but Saudi Arabia deserves praise for its efforts in this area.

So what's the downside?

Well i guess the first place to start is alcohol. There isn't any. If you need your fix you can go to Bahrain, which is a 30 minute flight from Riyadh.

Depending on which part of the country you are based it can be warm, hot, or so hot your blood can boil.

Again depending on which part of the country you are located you may have a lot of outside activities available (East & West Provinces) or quite little if it is Riyadh (in the middle of the desert with just sand dunes and not so friendly camels for company).

I find the food in Riyadh less exciting than in the 2 seaside provinces which have many more expats from a wider area of the world.

Riyadh is the capital so from a business perspective that is where the action is. However most of us expats would easily and with little encouragement move to either Jeddah or Al Khobar (fun, exciting, bustling, by the sea).

I guess I am trying to say the upsides far outweigh the downsides.

Yes it is not what we are "normally" used to. But every place in the world can be great to live in if you make it so.

There are lots of expats societies, groups, and events.

Come over. It is not what you think, it's much better.

Communication: Personal & Business

Just like the rest of the world Saudi Arabia has eagerly embraced sms, email, bluetooth and other means of electronic communication. And in a personal environment these are used extensively.

However in business verbal communication is everything! An email can be used to ask a quick question, pass on some product or reference information, or set an appointment.

Exchanges of information of any real substance though take place face to face. In this manner Saudi Arabia differs a great deal from the Western world.

A proposal is meaningless unless it is the end result (summary) of long periods of discussion and verbal agreeement. It is a reflection of the words. In fact it is more for our own benefit than for the Saudi businessman who will more often than not do a deal on a handshake.Deals are done on trust and verbal agreement - not on the professionalism, look and feel, and size of a proposal.

Finally, if you have something to say then be prepared to back it up with proof. Saudis are not gullible and are cautious by nature.

In private day to day activities life here is basically the same as at home. However, when it comes to business, realationships count for everything. And relationships are built on trust. And trust comes from many, many, many face to face conversations.

Patience, patience, patience

The title says it all, so this post will be short.


In Saudi Arabia everything associated with doing business takes time. There are a million reasons for this but in the end none of them really matter. They are what they are and there is nothing we Westerners can do about it.


Trying to "go-around" people does not work. You only upset your contact and probably doom your proposal.


If I have one bit of advice it is to aim as high up the organizational food chain as possible. Even if you get pushed down to the "make it happen" people you now always will have your top guy to go to if things go off the rails (and they will!!! PROMISE!!!). he may not be able to help but he has better coffee than the make it happen people.


You cannot force the issue. Meetings will happen when they happen. Decisions will be made when it is time for them to be made. Agreements (verbal & written) will be broken, changed, ammended, and broken again.


Eventually, inshallah, all the pieces fall into place and you have a deal. 


Unless of course something changes...

Ignore the media - come over

Before I came to the Middle East my opinion of the place was not all that flattering. To be perfectly honest I thought it was full of strife, violence, and fanatics.

I guess the media on both sides of the fence wants to portray their side of the fence as better, nicer, friendlier.

I actually think it is all a sophisticated version of fear of the unknown.

Anyway, when I moved over 6 years ago the truth was far from my preconceptions.

I learned that the best way to understand a region and its peoples and cultures is to visit or, at the very least, talk to people who have visited or lived there.

The media focuses on shock and awe. Why show the life of the " average Joe" or "average Abdullah" when you can show bullets flying around? Prety sad actually.

I am gladdened to see the Saudi authorities making giant efforts to increase tourism in the Kingdom. Their efforts will pay off handsomely for the Kingdom as well as the visitors.

Come to the Middle East. Come to Saudi. The other side of the fence is fascinating, safe, and provides an insight into a lifestyle a lot of us would otherwise never have to opportunity to experience.

Weather

Actually for 9 months of the year the weather is pretty good. 6 months of the year Europeans will love it. The 2 months leading up to summer and the month after can only be loved by Australians.

Then there is summer!! To be fair Saudis must have dome something very bad in their past and summer is God's way to punish them. 50C is common. 50C-55C occurs quite a bit during the worst of the summer months of July & August.

Everyone tries to avoid going outside in the day during summer. The night time is when everyone comes out to eat, shop, mingle, and drive (yup, there is that ugly word again!). Driving at night in major cities during summer necessitates adding 1-2 hours in commute time (regardless of how far you have to go). A popular 1 km street filled with cafes can take 10 minutes to cover most of the time, most of the year and up to 1-2 hours between 8pm and 2am during summer.

To finish a word about winter. In the last few years they have been quite mild (southern European in nature). However we have had winters where the temperature at night has dropped to below zero. Out in the desert winter temperatures can be quite cold whilst summer is brutal.

It is truly a land of contrasts!! I love it.

Balancing personal & business time in Saudi

Saudis work very hard. Their hours may not be consistent throughout the day but when added together they work very long hours, sometimes well into the night.

Our weekend here is Thursday and Friday. Even though some businesses work on Thursdays for half a day, and most executives will work some or all of the morning of Thursday, the remainder of that day and all of Friday are sacrosanct and devoted to home and family (near and extended).

Somehow saudi family ties have kept the ever creeping impact of technology enslaving us to work 24 hours a day at bay for the moment. My feelings are though that this will change and Saudi Arabia will infortunately join the rest of the world in blurring the line between work and play.

I therefore wanted to include here some words of wisdom from the comedian George Carlin whose thoughts on the subject of what is and isn't important in life is more apt than ever now. My thanks to Mr. Carlin.


The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.



We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.


We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.


We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour.

We conquered outer space but not inner space.

We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less.

We plan more, but accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.


These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...


Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.


Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.


Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.


AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

George Carlin