But because of the different religious beliefs, customs and habits, if you want to be respected, itself should first go to respect each other's customs.
Post the notes that I was reminded of before I went here for reference:
Main local language: Arabic is the official language, and English is widely spoken as most of the service workers in various industries are foreign workers.
Time difference: five hours behind Beijing time.
Climate: Saudi Arabia is one of the hottest regions in the world. The average annual temperature throughout the peninsula is above 20℃, with the average temperature in July, the hottest month, exceeding 30℃, and the average temperature in January, the coldest month, also higher than 10℃, mostly between 15 and 24℃. The southern region is even hotter, such as the southern tip of the peninsula in Aden, the average annual temperature of 28.9 ℃, 32.5 ℃ in July, 25.4 ℃ in January, there are four or five months of the average monthly temperature of more than 30 ℃. The absolute maximum temperature of the peninsula often ranges from 50 to 55℃. The peninsula has a large annual difference in temperature, generally above 15 ℃, in some places up to about 20 ℃.
The Arabian Peninsula is dry and little rain. Precipitation in the peninsula is very low, and annual precipitation in most areas is less than 100 millimeters
Air links: There are three major international airports in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh (central), Jeddah (western) and Dammam (eastern), which are important air transportation channels in and out of Saudi Arabia. My favorite route to Saudi Arabia: Riyadh to Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific flights, two times a week)
Local currency: Saudi Arabia's currency is the Riyal, which is a stable currency at 3.75 Riyals to the US Dollar.
Taxes: There is no income tax in Saudi Arabia, and there are no additional taxes on purchases.
Electricity, running water and gas: Residential electricity supply in Saudi Arabia varies between 110 and 220 volts and is not clearly labeled, so it is necessary to do a test to determine this in order to avoid burning electrical appliances.
Clothing etiquette: Saudi men usually wear Arabian clothing (headscarves, white robes, gold-fringed cloaks for formal occasions, sandals or leather shoes), and occasionally Western clothing. Women go out with a black veil over their heads and faces, and women are not allowed to drive. Social banquets are separate for men and women.
Exposed clothing is strictly prohibited in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and foreigners are no exception. Foreign women to go out to wear a black veil (ABAYA), in order to avoid religious police to find trouble, it is best to bring a headscarf, but do not need to mask, it is appropriate to wear long-sleeved skirt, the length of which should be able to cover the wrists and the feet, with pants, the shirt must be covered to the bottom of the buttocks. Even for diplomats, there are no exceptions for women. Men have fewer restrictions, except that they cannot bare their chests and backs, and should not wear shorts on the street unless they are in a sports venue. Men meet and greet each other differently depending on the friendship, usually with a handshake as a gift, and then each other to the left hand climbed on the other's right shoulder and kiss their cheeks. But you can't shake hands and kiss on the cheek between people of the opposite sex.
The Saudi style of work is not slow and slow, prefer to talk about things must be greeted with enthusiasm and other light topics to start, such as the open cut into the subject will be considered rude. When attending a local meal, you must eat with your right hand holding a knife and fork.
Food and daily necessities: In addition to pork and alcohol, Saudi Arabia can be imported food, European high-grade goods flooded the market, most of the daily necessities are more expensive than in China. There is no shortage of food and daily necessities, and there are many varieties. Western-style large supermarkets, shopping is convenient. There are also Korean, Thai and Indonesian stores selling Oriental food, but the price is high and the variety is limited.
Restaurants: Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam are some of the largest cities in the world with many Chinese, Western and Arabic restaurants to choose from. Riyadh's Chinese restaurants include Hua Gong, Lai Lai, Nawa, Riyadh, Hong Kong and many other Chinese restaurants.
Culture and entertainment: Saudi Arabia is a firm believer in Islam, with strict religious rules prohibiting prostitution, gambling and alcohol, as well as movie theaters, concert halls, dance halls and all other entertainment venues.
Work and rest: Saudi Arabia's Islamic and Gregorian calendars are both used, and the official calendar is the Islamic calendar, which has 354 days a year, with two new moons for a month. Government offices are open Saturday through Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Banks are open Saturday through Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursdays are weekends. Friday is Sunday. Worship services are held five times a day. The times of services can be found in the daily local newspaper. All stores are closed for about 30 minutes at a time during services and customers are asked to stop shopping and leave, as are the restaurants, but those who are eating can continue to eat. Supermarkets are open 24 hours a day and customers may continue to shop during service hours, but are not allowed to leave the premises.
Important festivals: Ramadan (September 25 to October 5) and Eid al-Adha (December 10), during which millions of Muslims from around the world travel to Mecca to perform the Hajj).
Other taboos and precautions: It is not only forbidden for a woman to drive a car in Saudi Arabia, but it is also forbidden for a woman to ride in a car with a man other than her husband's brother or the family chauffeur (when the driver is driving the car, the female passenger cannot sit beside the driver), so care should be taken to avoid violating this; when a woman goes out, she has to wear a black cloak (abayah), or else the religious police will come to intervene.
Saudi Arabia does not allow photographs to be taken in public, at places of interest, or of certain buildings. If you want to take photographs, you should be very careful not to be misinterpreted as the motive for taking photographs, which may cause trouble.
Taking pictures in public is forbidden in Saudi Arabia. You can't take pictures of people, especially Saudi women, without their permission. Otherwise, the religious police will stop it and take the paper out and expose it to the public or cause other problems.
Traffic safety and travel notes: local people like to drive fast, high accident rate, the recent Saudi Arabia increased traffic penalties, in order to avoid the pain of prison, flogging, more for their own life safety, driving should abide by the traffic rules and pay attention to the front and back of the right and left vehicles, careful driving.
Receiving people: Unless the relationship is very close friends, generally do not ask personal private matters, including his or her family, and do not inquire about his wife or her husband to do anything.
In public *** social occasions, do not talk about topics that do not steal fast.
Be the first to honor and serve an older person, regardless of his or her social status.
When visiting the homes of friends and others, accept the first cup of coffee offered by the host, even if you don't drink it, as a token of appreciation for their hospitality.
Do not accept more than three cups of coffee (arabica) unless it has traditionally been more common and very close friends.
Shake the coffee or tea cup gently, or cover the cup with the palm of your hand to show that nothing more is needed. When the host comes to get the cup, hand it back with your right hand.
When you are invited by a friend or another person, decline once or twice in a very natural manner, and then accept with a kind and graceful expression.
If possible, reply to a written invitation from a friend or other person in the same language, indicating that the invitation has been received.
When you receive an invitation from a Saudi friend and accept it, be on time.
When inviting male and female Saudis to a social event, do not consider the issue of invited male and female guests, as they are always separated in Saudi Arabia.
When preparing to invite more than one person (more than one) to a private party, try to make each guest feel at ease and get along well and naturally with the other visitors.
When eating with a traditional Saudi family, try to follow the local customs and sit cross-legged in the traditional Saudi way.
When **** with a plate of food, fingers should not touch the lips or tongue.
When accepting food from other Saudi guests, remember to pass it to each other. And only use the first three fingers of your right hand, never your left.
When you are done eating, there should be a little bit of uneaten, untouched rice left on the plate.
When you see the master take out the smoked incense or after eating, you should leave as soon as possible.
Clothing:
Saudi men should not be asked to remove their headscarves and headdresses on any occasion.
A Saudi woman should not be expected to remove her veil in front of other men except her family.
Dress appropriately in public.
Saudis abstain from handing anything to others with their left hand. It is considered unclean. It is not necessary to use both hands to deliver anything with the right hand.
Taboos
No crossing your arms
When talking or facing each other, there is a custom in the Middle East and Near East countries: not to cross your arms. In Libya, you will be insulted if you do this. In fact, in any country, crossing your arms to speak is considered "arrogant" or "impolite". In the Middle and Near East, it is taken more seriously as an "insult" or a "challenge".
Dolls not as gifts
Idolatry is strictly forbidden among Muslims. In Middle Eastern countries, dolls and other objects that resemble human figures are forbidden to be used as decorations in the home. Their explanation is that they are placed in the home, every day to watch, day after day, the formation of "idolatry" results. Therefore, in these countries, you should never give dolls as gifts, or you will be mistaken as looking down on their religion.
Banned from wearing clothes with a star pattern
Egypt, the Arabian countries to wear star-patterned clothes, people reacted strongly, very dissatisfied. The reason for this is that the flag of its political rival, Israel, has stars as its motif. In addition to clothes, wrapping paper with a star design is also unpopular.
No alcohol delivery
Religions in Kuwait, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, and Lebanon prohibit alcohol, and for them drinking is a straight path to sin. For those who have become accustomed to banning alcohol, they should avoid giving alcohol, because such behavior is like openly persuading him to break the fast, absolutely not do
Arab national customs
Clean right hand, unclean left hand
Arabs eat is very distinctive, usually seated on the ground, will be the bread into a small piece of bread or will be the handful of rice into a small ball, with the right hand of a few fingers pinched and sent to the mouth. The Arabs are also known for their ability to eat all of their food, even when it is served with soup. In fact, the hand directly grasp the food can not be considered to be the exclusive "patent" of the Arabs, hundreds of millions of people around the world to eat with their hands, and its living range can be extended from northern Africa all the way to the South Asian subcontinent.
According to Arab customs, their right hand is always clean, so when eating must use the right hand to send food directly into the mouth, and can not use the left hand, because in their traditional concept, the left hand is unclean, can only be used to assist the right hand to tear food. Even in ordinary work, the Arabs use their right hand more often. Local women are always busy working with their right hand, while their left hand is wrapped around the body of the long fabric pinched tightly in the armpit, the left hand occasionally free to help a little, and then abruptly shrink back.
Saudi Arabia - one of the rich countries in the Middle East and the world's largest oil exporter - has a relatively homogeneous economic structure, dominated by oil exports but relying mainly on imports for consumer goods. In addition, in Saudi Arabia nearly 17 million people in the population of nearly 5 million foreign residents, belonging to the low-paying class, what is needed is inexpensive and practical goods. Therefore, the Saudi market is a potential market with openness, large consumption and a wide range of demand levels. Many exporters see the Middle East as a potential market for them to expand their business.
I. Import tariff situation of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia in order to protect the development of domestic industry, all the imports of products similar to the domestic industry are subject to 20% import tax, and the tariff rate of other non-related products is 12%. Certain consumer goods and raw materials and accessories for industrial production are exempted from customs duties. Some of the related products are listed as follows: 1. Tobacco products: 30%; 2. Furniture and aluminum products: 20%; 3. Plastic and steel pipes: 20%; 4. Household appliances, lamps, and building materials: 12%. The equipment and raw and auxiliary materials required for the contracted projects should first be purchased from national manufacturers and importers. If they cannot be procured in the country, then they are allowed to be imported from abroad, with tariffs ranging from 0 to 4%, which are duty-free among the GCC member states (including the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman). Dubai, the capital of the UAE, is a free trade port with import duties of only 4%. As long as you get a certificate of origin from the UAE, you can export to Saudi Arabia free of import duties. At present, there are many domestic import and export companies and enterprises with offices in Dubai, so it can be said that Dubai is a city of businessmen and business opportunities, and it is also a place frequented by Saudi buyers. Of course, many local Saudi importers also use the method of misrepresentation of prices to avoid tariffs.
Saudi special requirements in food imports
As an Islamic country, food imports need to have a certificate of ingredients issued by the manufacturer and a consumer protection certificate, meat imports, including poultry and livestock, livestock can only be rams and bulls fresh or frozen meat, and at the same time there should be a certificate of slaughter in accordance with the Ihram way and the official sanitary and quarantine certificates for the cereals, Seeds, animal feed, livestock, pets, horses, fruits, vegetables and electrical equipment require special relevant documents. For goods less than 2,000 U.S. dollars, the relevant documents are exempted.
The Saudi government has also made it mandatory for many imported products to be certified by the Saudi Standardization Organization (SASO). Specific relevant products and related matters companies can contact SASO office in Hong Kong (Contact: Ms. Linda Wu; Tel: +852 28548219/8; Fax: +852 28154990).
It is important to note that SASO certification should basically be the responsibility of the Saudi importer to apply for, and exporters should not have to bear the cost. In Saudi Arabia, a highly centralized country, corruption is widespread. The certification of many imported goods is paid for, where money can do a lot of things. Of course, exporters would do well to understand some of the relevant SASO provisions in order to avoid unnecessary trouble in the future.
Third, the local merchants on the requirements of Chinese goods
Saudi businessmen attach great importance to the quality of Chinese products, the price requirements are very strict. Some light industrial products must not come to the sample order can not be, for the price they are also many comparisons, many counter-offer, the current international market crude oil prices have risen sharply, the Saudi people's pockets bulging again, but people have experienced the pain of the previous few years of oil price slumps, consumer behavior and consumption concepts have become cautious, in addition to increase some understanding of Islamic culture, can help exporters choose to adjust the export of products to Saudi Arabia, but also help to cooperate with the Saudi Arabian government and the Chinese government. types of products and also help in dealing with importers.
Four, other business conditions
Saudi Arabia's business conditions are relatively good, the business environment is more relaxed, Saudi Arabia has no foreign exchange controls, free flow of funds in and out of the country, there are no quota restrictions and trade barriers to carry out international trade is favorable to the government's industrial policy of the long-term goal is to diversify the base of the Saudi economy, reducing the excessive dependence on oil exports. The government strongly encourages foreign investment and cooperation. Related matters can be found at the Chambers of Commerce of Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Tel: +966 1 4053200/4057502; Fax: +966 1 4024747).
Also, there are some basic common sense things to keep in mind when doing business with Saudi Arabia. For example, Saudi Arabia's double-body days are on Thursday and Friday, instead of the usual Saturday and Sunday. Some commercial enterprises are closed only on Fridays. Government working hours are usually from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Other businesses usually work from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. There is a five-hour time difference between Saudi Arabia and China.
Fifth, the latest economic and trade developments in Saudi Arabia
1, the Saudi Industrial Development Foundation approved for eight industrial projects loan 143 million U.S. dollars
December 25, 2001 meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, the approval of a loan to the eight new industrial projects, the eight projects are: lining materials production projects, dairy projects, red brick factory expansion projects, mirror Glass Production Project, Liquid Packaging Container Materials Production Project, Packaging Materials Production Project, Paraffin Production Project, and Industrial Cleaner Raw Materials Production Project. The total loan amounted to 538 million riyals, or about $143 million. So far, the Saudi Industrial Development Foundation*** approved 2,384 loans totaling 40,226.3 million riyals, or about $10.727 billion.
2, China's ranking in Saudi Arabia's importing countries continue to move forward
According to Saudi newspaper reports, since 1997 China's trade with Saudi Arabia continued to grow, in the main countries exporting to Saudi Arabia, China's ranking continues to move forward. It rose from 8th place in 1999 to 7th place in 2000, and again to 5th place in the first quarter of 2001, overtaking Italy, France and South Korea. According to Saudi statistics, China's exports to Saudi Arabia amounted to $898 million in 1997, reached $958 million in 1998, an increase of 6.6%; increased to $980 million in 1999, an increase of 2.3%; and surged to $1.196 billion in 2000, an increase of 22%. in the first quarter of 2001, China's exports to Saudi Arabia amounted to $272 million, ranking behind the U.S., Japan, Germany, the U.K., and surpassing Italy, France and South Korea.