Working in Kuwait

Facts and Statistics Location: Middle East Capital: Kuwait City Population: 2,257,549 Religions: Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Parsi Language: Arabi

Kuwait Business Culture

• Kuwaitis judge on appearances so dress and present yourself well.

1. They respect education, so carefully mention if you have an advanced degree, especially if it is from a prestigious university.
2. Many businessmen prefer to meet in the early evening.
3. Do not try to schedule meetings in July and August as many Kuwaitis leave the country during the worst of the summer heat.
4. Meetings may be interrupted if they interfere with prayer times.
5. Meetings are generally not private unless there is a need to discuss matters confidentially. Expect frequent interruptions. Others may wander into the room and start a different discussion. You may join in, but do not try to bring the topic back to the original discussion until the new person leaves.
6. Men should wear lightweight, good quality, conservative suits, at least to the initial meeting.
7. Women should avoid giving offence and refrain from wearing revealing or tight fitting clothing. Although they do not need to wear skirts that reach the ground, skirts should cover the knee and sleeves should cover the elbow and fasten at the neck.
8. Titles are important. Use the honorific "Mister" and any academic or political title and the first name.
9. Do not use only the first name until expressly invited to drop the titles.
10. The title "Sheikh" denotes that someone is a member of the royal family. It is also used for old men.
11. Business cards are given to everyone you meet. Have one side of your card translated into Arabic. Be sure to check the translation carefully as there is often confusion with the order of western names.