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Saudis are also offended by the sight of the soles of shoes because in their culture, showing someone the sole of your shoe is roughly equivalent to giving someone the middle finger in the U.S. Therefore, you must be careful not to cross your legs in the "figure 4" posture that is common among males in the West (Hughes & Chesters, 2003

Important Cultural Expectations in Saudi Arabia

There are also important cultural differences that you should be aware of in Saudi Arabia. For example, women are prohibited from driving and they are expected to wear very conservative clothing (Hughes & Chesters, 2003). Therefore, having a Western female executive who shows up to an appointment in a business skirt that might be perfectly appropriate in the West could ruin your arrangements. Saudis are also very careful about any physical contact between the genders; therefore, Westerners should always wait and follow the lead of their Saudi hosts when it comes to things such as extending a handshake to anybody of the opposite gender (Hughes & Chesters, 2003).Matters of Business Etiquette in Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, it is expected that prospective foreign business partners will first arrive in the Kingdom before initiating contact (Hughes & Chesters, 2003). Therefore, it is important to check the calendar to avoid Muslim holidays (such as the entire month of Ramadan) and to schedule a long enough visit to allow for some scheduling flexibility after arrival. Business cards are expected to provide more information than typical in the U.S. And to be printed bilingually, with English (or other foreign language) on one side and Arabic on the other (Hughes & Chesters, 2003).

References

Hughes, R. And Chesters, G. (2003). Living and Working in Gulf States & Saudi Arabia.

Survival Books: London.

Harris, P. And Moran, R. (2007). Managing Cultural Differences:

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