The largest and one of the most powerful countries in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is known for its immense oil wealth and rich Arab and Muslim heritage. Home to a plethora of successful and modern cities, Saudi Arabia continues to attract the attention of new business and investments. Shaped by its diverse traditional cultures and conservative Islamic beliefs and values, an international assignment in Saudi Arabia can be challenging and stressful for those who are not accustomed to the unique Saudi Arabian way of life and culture.
A sound knowledge of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in particular, of its cultural background, is essential to successfully living and working in Saudi Arabia. A thorough understanding of Saudi Arabian culture will also help you counter any preconceived misconceptions or stereotypes so you and your family can have a more positive and successful experience living and working in Saudi Arabia. Without this, living and working in Saudi Arabia could result in frustration and misunderstandings leading to a failed international assignment.
Communicaid’s Living & Working in Saudi Arabia courses are designed to respond to the needs of international assignees by providing practical information and advice on the various aspects of living and working in Saudi Arabia, as well as conveying an understanding of the underlying elements that shape Saudi Arabian culture both socially and professionally.
Benefits
A Communicaid Living and Working in Saudi Arabia course will provide you with:
- An in-depth overview of Saudi Arabian culture including information about its geography, demographics and history.
- An introduction to Islam and how it impacts society and business in Saudi Arabia
- An understanding of Saudi Arabian politics and its position in the Middle East and the world
- A review of Saudi Arabia’s current economic situation
- Key communication tools and skills to understand and respond to business and social subtleties and nuances of Saudi Arabian culture
- An awareness of culture and country shock and strategies for coping with it
- Essential practical information to improve your experience of living and working in the Saudi Arabia
Who should attend
Living and Working in Saudi Arabia will be of benefit to you if you:
- Are about to relocate or have just relocated to Saudi Arabia for business purposes
- Work on short-term assignments or projects in Saudi Arabia
- Spend periods of time in Saudi Arabia for business
Course Content
All our Living and Working in Saudi Arabia training courses are designed to meet the specific needs of our clients depending on their personal and/or organisational requirements and existing skills set. A Living and Working in Saudi Arabia course typically includes:
- An introduction to the history, politics and economy of Saudi Arabia
- Information about Saudi Arabian people and Saudi Arabian society
- Discussions to help break down any preconceptions and stereotypes of Saudi Arabia
- Major cities and regional diversity in Saudi Arabia
- Practical information on living and working in Saudi Arabia
- Attitudes towards women and foreigners
- Managing culture and country shock
- Saudi Arabian social and business etiquette: greetings, gift giving, invitations, privacy
- Key attitudes and values in Saudi Arabian business culture: relationships, hierarchy, face
- Working practices in Saudi Arabia including meetings and presentations
- Saudi Arabian management, leadership and negotiation styles
- Strategies for effective business communication, whether face-to-face or virtual
- Tips and advice for successful living and working in Saudi Arabia
Approach
Living and Working in Saudi Arabia courses are available seven days a week, 365 days a year, either at one of our training centres in London, Paris, Frankfurt and New York or at your offices in any location worldwide. We usually recommend a one or two day course but can also offer a more flexible format to suit your schedule.
Suitably tailored materials will be used throughout your course and your trainer will provide a balance of structured input and discussion of case studies and scenarios relevant to your own particular context.
The most appropriate training format, content and approach for your Living and Working in Saudi Arabia course will be discussed during your diagnostic consultancy.
Living and Working in Saudi Arabia Course Trainer
Your Living and Working in Saudi Arabia trainer will be assigned to you following the results of your diagnostic consultancy according to your objectives and areas of focus. Detailed below is the profile of a member of our Cultural Awareness Training team.
BK
BK is Iranian by birth with extensive knowledge and experience of the Middle Eastern region. His early career involved a number of industry and academic positions at various world wide organisations including the University of Manchester and the Iranian Steel Corporation.
BK joined BP in 1985 where he worked for 15 years, firstly as a Project Leader and then as Technology Manager. As Project Leader for BP Group Research and Engineering he was responsible for the planning, co-ordination and delivery of R&D and engineering consultancy for the BP Group worldwide. As Technology manager for BP Exploration he developed and implemented key technologies to reduce the cost impact of corrosion for BP. Both roles involved significant travel to the Middle East and during his last five years with BP he delivered internal briefings to staff working with UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan.
BK now runs his own consultancy providing advice to the oil and gas industry in the UK and Middle East and delivering cross-cultural awareness workshops to corporate clients working with the Middle East and North Africa. He also acts as visiting Professor and Business Development Manager for UCL and is an experienced academic publisher and presenter.
Over the last several years, BK has delivered a number of cultural awareness pre assignment training programmes on Living & Working in Saudi Arabia on behalf of Communicaid.
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Cross-cultural
Training
