Greeting

Katar is a multicultural state where people of many different cultures can be found. Arabs make up the largest group of the population, about 40%, but there are also natives of India (18%), Pakistan (18%), Iran (10%) and other Arab countries. The share of Qataris, the native population proper, is not high, it is about 12%.

In view of such ethnic diversity in Qatar, there are different cultures in parallel, which have their own forms of greeting. However, in business environments, the traditional form of greeting is a handshake, which is usually exchanged between men.

Bodily contact between the sexes is not accepted due to Muslim traditions, which are strong in this state. Foreign women should wait for an initiative from a man before extending a hand to greet him. The same applies to foreign men, who should pay attention to the woman's behavior in this situation.

Sometimes to greet a woman, a man will put his hand to his chest near his heart and tilt his head slightly while smiling at the woman. It is an alternative (non-contact) form of greeting women in business and social environments.

Handsshaking is necessarily accompanied by a verbal greeting, also common in the Arab world: As-salaamu alaikum, which means Peace be with you. The response is to say Wa alaykum as-salam, which means And to you peace.

The whole greeting procedure among the locals seems rather formal in general and quite lengthy. In addition to a handshake speakers can put their arm around each other's elbow or shoulder, exchange a kiss on the cheek (a light touch of the cheek to the cheek) and even touch each other's noses with the tip of their noses ("rubbing noses"). The latter is only possible between close friends.

When greeting someone, and in the course of any business conversation, it is important to maintain eye contact with the person you are talking to. This only applies to conversations between men. If a woman is involved, the man should not look at her, stare at her closely or compliment her appearance or clothing.

Foreigners should not copy the mannerisms of their partners in Qatar by trying to emulate traditional Arab forms of greeting. Close business and even friendly relations should be established beforehand.

Foreigners should not copy the mannerisms of their partners in Qatar.

Introduction

In formal, formal and business situations, especially in beginning contacts, the accepted form of address is Mr (Sir), followed by the person's name (not surname), for example Mr Omar. The same applies to a woman: Mrs Aisha. Surnames in Qatar are mostly used in written correspondence.

Any titles, titles and degrees are important in Qatar. When meeting with a high-level government official or members of the ruling family, use Your Excellency. If you, for some reason, are to meet a sheikh who has any formal title or rank, you should use it when addressing him. This is especially important in written communication.

If you do not know (or do not have) your partner's title, academic degree, use polite forms of address, e.g. Mr, Ms, Miss, followed by the person's name.

If your partner has a Ph.D., you should use that when referring to him or her.

It is not uncommon to see the words ibn and bint in Arabic surnames, for example, Mohammed Khalfan Bin Kharbash or Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Bin means "son of someone" followed by father's name, bint means "daughter of someone" followed also by father's name. With these words another generation in the family can also be indicated, namely the father's father. However, the current trend is to indicate only the father's name (not the father and grandfather's). The person's last name is given at the very end.

Exchange of Business Cards

In Qatar, business cards are often exchanged. Almost everyone has them. It is advisable to always carry a sufficient supply of business cards.

The standard set of information on a business card should include your first and last name, position or position in the company, its name, all contact addresses. Especially important is the cell phone number (women are better off not including it).

If you have a degree, a title, an engineering degree or medical qualifications, be sure to put these on your business card, and to put them in an eye-catching way. All such regalia are highly valued in Qatari society.

Business card text should be in Arabic and English. The side of the business card with Arabic text should be on the front when handed to the partner.

As a rule, business cards are exchanged after introductions and greetings. In this case, the guest is the initiating party.

There is no special ritual for handing business cards in business practice in Qatar. However, remember that business cards, like any other paper or document, should be handed (and received) with the right hand and not the left.

Small Talk: Overview

Business conversations are preceded by small talk, which is a kind of prelude to the actual negotiations. It is important for Qatari businessmen to get to know their potential partner, because building relationships is at the core of any business. These conversations build trust between partners, an important category in the Arab world.

No matter how hasty you get in the small talk, don't rush into business because your project could end before it begins. Show sincere interest in the partner, his interests and preferences, for example, in sports or travel. Behave naturally, in a friendly and engaging manner.

In your interactions, especially with older people, it's important to be as polite and courteous as possible. Arabs generally treat guests with the utmost respect and expect the same treatment when they themselves go to visit.

When chatting, avoid asking general questions that require a "yes" or (especially) "no" answer, especially if your question could be interpreted as a request. Your Qatari partner will probably agree to do what he is being asked, but what he would not want to do. Instead of a direct refusal, he will politely but evasively agree. It is important to catch some nonverbal signs of his true intent. The way in which consent is expressed-whether warm and emotional or detached and cautious-can provide some clues.

Preferred Topics

Positive remarks or compliments about Qatar, its attractions, interesting buildings and structures.

Positives about Qatar's achievements, its economic growth, prosperity, oil and gas industries will be particularly well received. These kinds of compliments, heartfelt praise will certainly be appreciated by your interlocutor.

Sports, especially local soccer teams.

Safe topics are common, namely weather, sports (especially horseback riding), entertainment, cars, travel (including safaris) and others.

International events that are talked about, especially those not controversial.

Taboo Topics

Conflicting topics, especially political statements, should be avoided in small talk.

Religion and anything related to Islam is a rather sensitive topic that is best avoided in conversation.

Do not allow yourself to ask personal questions in the first meeting, such as about your Arab partner's family or children.

No questions about your Qatari colleague about his wife, even for example if she works or what her profession is.

Do not bring up topics related to women in Qatar and how they are treated in society.

Alcohol, spirits, different brands and brands are taboo subjects.

Personal Space

In this Arab culture, the distance of comfortable communication varies according to the gender of the participants. Men stand fairly close to each other during conversations, but this distance increases considerably when women are involved.

Qataris make extensive use of body language during conversations. Physical touching, including long handshakes, and putting an arm around the elbow or shoulder, are very common gestures. This also applies only to men, who should never touch women under any circumstances.

Remember the "right hand rule": Go around the person standing next to you on your right, start by saying hello to the person on your right, pass papers with your right hand.

If you are sitting at a low table or on the floor at an event, pay attention to the posture you adopt while doing so. Your partner should not see the soles of your shoes, this is considered a very rude, even insulting, gesture because feet are considered a dirty part of the body.

Your partner should not see the soles of your shoes, this is considered a very rude gesture.

Communication Specifics

This Arab state is extremely culturally diverse. In business situations, you may encounter people from different cultural backgrounds, religious faiths, and educational backgrounds. It is important to be careful with your speech and avoid any judgemental comments so as not to offend anyone's feelings by accident.

Qataris do not speak with a straight face. On the contrary, their statements often contain subtexts that are influenced by factors such as the relationship between the speakers, their status in society, and the situation of communication itself. Of particular importance are reticences, certain gestures and facial expressions, intonation, as well as the meanings of certain words that only native speakers of that culture understand.

It is important to keep in mind that in communication Qataris can often say what they think they are expected or want to hear instead of speaking their minds directly and openly. This is because Arab families have lived together for decades (and even longer) in the same communities, where the daily maintenance of harmonious relations has been a necessity.

Since, within the Arab community, family or personal relations have often overlapped with business relations, this indirect, often very veiled manner of communication has become characteristic of the business sphere as well.

But such hidden meanings are well understood in Arab society. However, foreigners will have to take the time to understand them and learn to respond to them appropriately. In Qatari culture, as in many Arab countries, emotional and expressive speech, which is loud enough and accompanied by quite active gestures, is valued. In contrast, a quiet and inexpressive manner of speaking is perceived as insincere. Often how one speaks is more important than what is said.

The exchange of compliments between Arabs is not surprising. They praise each other quite often and verbosely. The foreign businessman, if the praise is directed at him, should respond appropriately, i.e. make a number of complimentary remarks to his partner, because that is what is expected of him. It is important to remember that Arab women should never be mentioned in these remarks.