Who Should Attend ?

Employees preparing for an assignment in the United Arab Emirates and their partners

Benefits of Attendance

This seminar aims at significantly improving the ability of the participants to meet the challenges of living and working abroad. The objective is to enable them to identify the stumbling blocks that lie ahead and to be able to adapt and integrate in United Arab Emirates.

At the end of this training, participants will have acquired insights and techniques to:

• Be aware of their own cultural baggage
• Understand the context and the culture of the United Arab Emirates
• Analyse situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating more effectively
• Reduce and manage the symptoms of culture shock
• Understand another mindset, work practices, decision-making processes and negotiating styles
• Strike the right balance between personal et professional lives

Training Approach

• A cross-cultural approach of International Mobility
• Country specific trainers
• Personalized and familiy focused action plan
• Access to the Nomad’ Network, an exclusive online tool for Akteos’ clients and experts:  find resources, exchange experiences, knowledge and insights

Programme Outline

Module 1 : Successful personnal integration in the United Arab Emirates

1. Cross-cultural awareness : the key to a successful expatriation

• Taking stock of one's own cultural baggage
• Culture shock and the integration process
• Identifying and going beyond cultural stereotypes

2. Key aspects of Emirati culture

• Seven monarchical emirates and a federation
• Geography, languages, a mostly foreign population
• Bedouin heritage.  The influence of the British protectorate
• The third largest oil producer in the Persian Gulf
• A region of great geopolitical interest, the challenge of economic diversification
• A high-performance educational system

3. Emirati values and behaviour patterns

• A Muslim culture characterised by its openness to the rest of the world
• The importance of tribal origins
• The family unit as the bedrock of identity.  A duty to provide hospitality 
• The Emirati woman - between tradition and modernity
• Social distinction based on nationality: Al-Muwateneen and Al-Wafedeen
• A rigid hierarchy: respect for age and status
• Flexibility where time is concerned
• The importance attached to appearances

4. Practical day to day information

• Focus on the host town or city
• Transport, administration, housing, security, hygiene and healthcare
• Social life, leisure activities, schools, extracurricular activities, sport

Module 2 : Successful professionnal integration in the United Arab Emirates

1. The Emirati corporate world

• The influence of religion on business and the pace of work.
• A virtually 100% state-controlled economy
• A horizontal hierarchy subject the authority of a leader
• Distinctions between the Emirates

2. Effective communication with the Emiratis

• Building personal relationships
• The importance of verbal communication. 
• A culture making extensive use of gestures.
• Respect and courtesy: a winning combination
• Arabic for day-to-day life and English for business

3. Working with Emirati teams

• Establishing your authority: posture and bearing
• Local management and corporate culture
• The concentration of decision-making powers
• Building and maintaining trust and confidence

4. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Emiratis

• The art of negotiation. Identifying decision-makers
• Giving and keeping your word, providing ample documentation
• Taking care when drafting contracts
• Successful follow-up

5. Final handy tips

• Prudence, patience and humility
• Social standards, gifts, business cards, dress code, etc
• Delicate subjects: politics, history, religion