Doing business in the Gulf: 9 meeting rules foreign companies learn the hard way
In the Gulf, the first meeting is rarely about the deal. Here is what I wish every foreign team knew before they flew in.
Envoyara12 November 2026 · 7 min read
I have watched excellent companies fly to Dubai or Riyadh with a great product and a sharp deck, and fly home with nothing but business cards. Not because the product was wrong, but because the meeting was. In the Gulf, how you meet matters as much as what you sell.
These are the nine rules I share with every team before their first trip. None of them is secret. Most of them are simply different from how meetings work in London, Berlin or New York.
1. The relationship comes before the deal
The first meeting is usually about getting to know each other. Expect questions about you, your family, your journey and your company's story before anyone looks at a slide. That is not small talk to rush through. It is the meeting.
If you push for a decision in the first hour, you signal that you are here for a transaction, not a partnership. Plan for two or three meetings before anything concrete happens.
2. Who introduces you matters
A cold email from an unknown company is easy to ignore. An introduction from someone your counterpart already knows and trusts gets you a coffee, and often a real conversation. In the Gulf this matters even more than in Europe, because trust is personal before it is institutional.
3. Know the calendar
The working week is not the same everywhere in the region. The UAE moved to a Saturday and Sunday weekend in 2022, while Saudi Arabia keeps Friday and Saturday. Plan your meeting days around both.
Ramadan moves every year with the lunar calendar. Working hours get shorter and many decisions slow down, although evenings after iftar can be good for relationship building. The summer months are quieter as many decision-makers travel. The busy season for events and deals runs from autumn to spring.
4. Accept the hospitality
You will be offered coffee or tea, often Arabic coffee with dates. Accept it. Refusing hospitality can feel like refusing the person. Use your right hand, and when you have had enough, a small shake of the cup is the usual signal.
5. Let the other person set the greeting
Handshakes are common in business, but let your counterpart lead, especially when meeting someone of the opposite gender. A warm greeting and a hand on the heart is always respectful. A few words of Arabic, even just as-salamu alaykum and shukran, are noticed and appreciated.
6. Respect the hierarchy
Decisions are often made, or at least confirmed, by the most senior person, who may not be in the first meeting. Be respectful to everyone in the room, because the junior person today may be the one who recommends you upward tomorrow.
7. Be patient with time
Meetings may start late, run long or be interrupted by calls and visitors. Do not show frustration. Build buffer time into your schedule and never book back-to-back meetings across the city.
8. Read between the lines
A direct "no" is rare. A polite, non-committal answer can mean "not now" or "not interested". Learn to read the signals: a request for a proposal, an introduction to a colleague or an invitation to a second meeting are real progress. Vague enthusiasm without a next step usually is not.
9. Follow up personally
A follow-up message on WhatsApp or a short personal note often works better than a formal email. Keep it warm, reference something from your conversation, and propose a clear, small next step.
The short version
- Plan for relationships, not a single closing meeting.
- Arrive with a warm introduction whenever you can.
- Check the weekend, Ramadan and the event season before you book flights.
- Accept hospitality, be patient, and read the signals.
Getting these right will not sell a weak product. But getting them wrong can stop a strong one before it gets a fair hearing.