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Otto considers punctuality extremely important, not just in business meetings but also in all personal relations; for him, being on time is part of being professional. For the members of the Saudi team with whom he was interacting, however, punctuality is something of a foreign concept, with the historical use of daily prayers as reference points for plans giving rise to a relative and flexible notion of time.

Background: The German and Saudi cultures conceive of time very differently. Germans tend to value punctuality, while it is normal for Saudis to be vague about arrangements. For instance, a Saudi may say, “Let’s meet after Isha prayer,” and while it is possible to find an exact time for this daily prayer at any location, for Saudis, this statement indicates a range of two hours or so.

Since the members of the Saudi family who own the firm are meeting Otto for the first time, they try to get to know him on a personal level in order to build confidence in him before proceeding to discuss the project.

Background: The concept of honoring guests is central to the Saudi culture, being reflected in Saudis’ generosity and hospitality. Since Saudis value personal relationships highly, eating with guests strengthens friendships, which can then evolve into trusting relationships in which business can be done. Saudi notions of hospitality derive from the ancient Bedouin tradition of inviting travelers to eat and rest while they move across the vast desert.

Since Otto is an outsider, he does not realize that the members of the Saudi team are trying to communicate politely to him that they understand him but cannot fulfill his request. They would consider it disrespectful to respond to him with a blunt “no.” Otto, unable to appreciate the nuances of “Inshalla”, misinterprets this response as an agreement to do as he has asked.

Background: The phrase “Inshalla”, literally “God willing”, is very common in Saudi conversation but is vague and difficult for outsiders to interpret. The meaning depends on the context, including the tone of the conversation, and may even indicate polite refusal to fulfill a request.

The members of the Saudi team focus their efforts on building a personal relationship with Otto and learning more about him, which they consider necessary before addressing the particulars of the proposed project. To Otto, these meetings over meals seem like a waste of time.

Background: Building and knowing the individuals with whom you wish to do business is very important in Saudi business culture. Before getting to the matter at hand with a potential Saudi partner, you need to let him get to know you and trust you.

Otto is of the opinion that work tasks should be well-defined, team members should stick to the plan, and time spent building personal relationships is time not spent on the project. For the Saudis, by contrast, relationships are more important than work, so, again, they need to establish trust before discussing business and money in earnest.

Background: Because Saudi society is built on personal interactions, personal and business relationships are interconnected, and neither can develop overnight. Foreign partners have no choice but to be patient; only when a Saudi knows a partner well enough personally will he be willing to do business. On the other hand, trusted relationships with Saudis tend to be long-lasting.

During the meeting with Majid and Abdullah, Otto uses their first names. They consider this familiarity in addressing them impolite and even a bit insulting because they have not yet established a relationship with him

Background: Titles are, in fact, very important in Saudi Arabia, so, when engaging in conversation, it is essential to use the appropriate titles, such as “Doctor” and “Sheikh.” If you are unsure and only know a Saudi businessman’s first name, be sure to use “Mr.”

When Otto discusses frankly with Abdullah the challenges that he is encountering in his efforts to motivate the Saudi team in the presence of Majid, the father and son both perceive his words as indicating that Abdullah is improperly managing his people and, thus, indicating a loss of face for him.

Background: It is crucial to avoid publicly correcting or confronting any Saudi. If an issue needs to be addressed, the conversation must be conducted in private and with all possible politeness. The concept of saving and maintaining face is fundamental in Saudi culture.

In their meeting, Abdullah and Majid perceive Otto’s blunt discussion of the problems that he is encountering in getting the project off the ground as presumptuous and disrespectful and, thus, an indication that they will not be able to work with him.

Background: Expressing dissatisfaction to a Saudi should be done with great care and, again, always in private. Negative feelings can easily make friendship with Saudis, and therefore business, impossible.

Otto as a German project manager, starts any project by tailoring a full detailed plan; however, for the Saudi team, tailoring a full detailed plan is not necessary and a waste of time due to the unexpected events that may occur in the future. From the Saudi perspective, the project needs an outlined plan to keep the planning flexible for any unexpected future changes.

Background: Saudi and German culture differ greatly with respect to history, religion, and so on, and these cultural differences need to be given careful consideration when planning collaborative efforts between Germans, who prefer to work on the details of a project from the start, and Saudis, who expect projects to develop slowly and the details to be worked out relatively late in the planning.

Otto is a German project manager who has just moved from Hamburg to Riyadh to run a large-scale, theme park project in collaboration with a Saudi family business. His experience as a project manager includes a few complex projects in Germany and other European countries, and he prides himself for always exceeding expectations in terms of completing work on time and within the prescribed budget. Thus, he has arrived in Saudi Arabia with a distinguished record of achievement as a project leader. 

The Saudi project is Otto’s first outside Europe, and he is excited to travel to the Middle East and have the experience of living there for the two years that it will take to complete the project. Otto and his company are confident that the project needs a manager with just such a record to achieve success and open the door for more lucrative operations for Otto’s company in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

His first meeting with members of the Saudi family and their senior management team, however, proves to be disappointing for Otto. Expecting an extended session at which he would present his detailed plan, including milestones for progress and potential areas of concern, instead, he finds himself at a dinner with lots of small talk about almost everything except business.

The next few days are stressful for Otto as he tries to meet with senior managers to discuss the details of the project. Again, the conversations are not focused on business, with a great deal of friendly discussion about Otto’s family and various personal matters. For their part, the Saudi support staff keep saying “Inshalla” (God willing) in response to the issues that Otto raises, though nothing seems to happen. 

As the days go by, Otto becomes increasingly worried about his lack of results with the members of the Saudi team and requests a meeting with the Saudi general manager. His request is granted, and when he arrives, he is greeted by Abdullah, an athletic man in his mid-thirties, and his father, the firm’s founder, Majid. During the meeting, Otto voices his frustration with the Saudi team’s lack of responsiveness and unkept promises, and he leaves feeling satisfied that, at last, someone is listening to him. 

The following day, Otto receives a call from his company’s headquarters instructing him to return to Europe for “discussions”. The following week, he was informed that he had been removed from the project and replaced by another manager.

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Last updated: 01.03.2022 - 14:36
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