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Business etiquette in Qatar

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Julien

Hello everybody,

As you know, professional habits may differ from one country to another. In order to help newly arrived expats better understand their new professional environment in Qatar, we warmly encourage you to share information and insights about the do’s and don’ts in the workplace.

For instance, are there office manners? How do you greet your co-workers? Do you greet your management differently? Is there a dress code? Particular rules to observe? Maybe a professional body language?

On another level, what is key for a successful professional meeting? Are there any steps to follow? How do you a start a negotiation?

In other words, what are the most important things to know for a successful professional integration in Qatar?

Thank you in advance for sharing your experience!

Julien

anasalhaj

Hi,

Since I came to Qatar, I have been working on QMotor.com; the leading motoring website in Qatar. The experience I built in Wales, London and Germany was not helpful here, simply because of the complete differences in Business Etiquettes.

In Qatar, there is 0 respect for time. Time here has no meaning. The one can eazily notice that everything will happen tomorrow, and nothing will happen today.

In Europe, I learnt that an email must have a reply. In Qatar, you send an email and follow it with 3 or 4 reminders and you still dont have an answer.

In Europe, even small and junior employees can make decisions. In Qatar an Organization with more than 100 employees and the purchase of the tea bags is under the control of the CEO!

Everything here needs a meeting, even simple requests. The way for anything and its the only way is to build connections. You might need to take people for lunch, help them in one way or another, build contacts, then you can set back and relax because you know that any problem you face, you can simply call Abu.... and he will solve it for you.

In real estate they say: Location, Location, Location... In Business in Qatar I say: Relations, Relations, Relations.

Anas

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