[/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”Market Information Title Area” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ min_height=”212px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_font=”||||||||” header_4_font=”Merriweather||||||||” header_4_text_color=”#000000″ header_4_font_size=”15px” header_4_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”24px||||false|false” animation_style=”flip” animation_direction=”left” animation_intensity_flip=”20%” animation_starting_opacity=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”]
Traditionally in Saudi Arabia, it is considered polite to decline an initial offer. Saudis will often wait to see if the offeror insists. You might need to offer two to three times before you receive the “real” answer. If this is different from your own culture, your first thought might be, “That sounds super inefficient.”
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Market Information Title Area” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ custom_margin=”-88px||||false|false” custom_padding=”40px|0px|40px|0px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https://arabius.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Coffee-2.jpg” alt=”Man pouring Saudi coffee to another man dressed in traditional Saudi clothing” title_text=”Coffee-2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_font=”||||||||” header_4_font=”Merriweather||||||||” header_4_text_color=”#000000″ header_4_font_size=”15px” header_4_line_height=”1.6em” height=”100px” custom_margin=”46px||-46px||false|false” animation_style=”flip” animation_direction=”left” animation_intensity_flip=”20%” animation_starting_opacity=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”]And in some ways, it is. But in other ways, it’s actually a more effective form of communication. For example, in the United States, people tend to be direct. If they offer something, they mean for you to accept it.
But in any culture, there are situations where you feel pressured to make an offer even though you really don’t want to. For someone from the United States, there’s no commonly understood way to make an offer and communicate that they don’t want it accepted. This is the problem solved by the Saudi way.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”Market Information Title Area” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ custom_margin=”-40px||||false|false” custom_padding=”40px|0px|40px|0px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Merriweather||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_font=”||||||||” header_4_font=”Merriweather||||||||” header_4_text_color=”#000000″ header_4_font_size=”15px” header_4_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”||-200px||false|false” animation_style=”flip” animation_direction=”left” animation_intensity_flip=”20%” animation_starting_opacity=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”]
Imagine: You’re at the office, and there are only a few pieces of cake left. There’s social pressure to offer it to your coworker. In the United States, there are very few cues to let your coworker know if you really want them to take it (or if you’d like to hoard that last piece for yourself).
But in Saudi Arabia, it’s different. Here, the way you offer it states your intentions. If you offer it once, it’s understood that you’re being polite and really don’t want them to take the cake. If you continue to say, “Please, take the cake.” Then they’ll know you truly mean your offer.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ admin_label=”Feature 01 Area” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”60px|0px|0px|0px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https://arabius.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/will-echols-P_l1bJQpQF0-unsplash-edited.jpg” alt=”One slice of cake on plate sitting on a marble table” title_text=”will-echols-P_l1bJQpQF0-unsplash” force_fullwidth=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”center” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ min_height=”100px” height=”354px” custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding=”|||40px” custom_padding_tablet=”|||0px” custom_padding_phone=”” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”right” animation_intensity_slide=”8%” animation_starting_opacity=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”5%|5%|5%|5%” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Title” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Merriweather|700|||||||” header_2_font_size=”30px” header_2_line_height=”1.5em” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”27px||-57px||false|false” custom_padding=”||1px||false|false” animation_direction=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”]
So what should you do?
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Merriweather||||||||” custom_margin=”60px|-38px|||false|false” custom_padding=”|||0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]The next time you offer something to a Saudi, try to do it more than once. That way, you’re clearly communicating that you really want them to take what you’re offering.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ admin_label=”Feature 02 Area” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_color=”rgba(239,239,239,0.89)” custom_margin=”||180px|” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”5%|5%|5%|5%” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding_last_edited=”off|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}” padding_tablet=”0px|0px|0px|0px” padding_last_edited=”off|desktop” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Merriweather|700|||||||” header_2_line_height=”1.5em” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”27px|||-2px|false|false” custom_padding=”||1px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]
How does this translate to business?
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Merriweather||||||||” custom_margin=”4px|-38px|||false|false” custom_padding=”|||0px|false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]If you’re offering a benefit to a Saudi client, you might find that you need to offer it more than one time to show your sincerity. Similarly, if something is only offered to you once, you might find that it was a show of politeness versus a genuine offer.
Remember– even within the same culture, everyone is different. There is no set formula. The best thing you can do is observe what you see around you, and ask questions.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_stops=”#1f4c1f 0%|rgba(255,255,255,0) 100%” custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https://arabius.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/food.jpg” title_text=”food” force_fullwidth=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”center” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ custom_margin=”-20px||-100px|” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_intensity_slide=”8%” animation_starting_opacity=”100%” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ box_shadow_blur=”80px” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Blog Section” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_color=”#f7f7f7″ parallax=”on” custom_margin=”-176px||||false|false” custom_padding=”31px||5px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Merriweather||||||||” header_2_font=”Merriweather||||||||” header_2_font_size=”30px” header_2_line_height=”1.5em” custom_margin=”||-14px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]Want to learn more about Saudi culture and language?
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Merriweather||||||||” custom_margin=”10px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]Sign up for the Arabius insider to get tips, and updates on events in Saudi Arabia.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Newsletter Section” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_color=”#f7f7f7″ background_image=”https://arabius.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/coffee.jpg” parallax=”on” custom_padding=”112px||131px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″ custom_margin=”1px||||false|false” alt=”Saudi man offering a small cup of Saudi coffee” title_text=”coffee”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#f2f2f2″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ custom_margin=”||-17px||false|false” custom_padding=”||63px||false|false” module_id=”sign”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” header_2_font=”Merriweather|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ header_2_text_align=”center” custom_margin=”||||true|false” custom_padding=”44px||5px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ header_2_font_size=”34px”]