However, due to the different religious beliefs and customs, if you want to be respected, you must first respect each other's customs.
Send the precautions reminded before going this time for reference:
The main local language: Arabic is the official language, and English is widely used because the service personnel in all walks of life are mostly foreign workers.
Time: five hours later than Beijing time.
Climate: Saudi Arabia is one of the hottest regions in the world. The annual average temperature of the whole peninsula is above 20℃, the average temperature in the hottest month is above 30℃ in July, and the average temperature in Leng Yue in 65438+ 10℃ is also higher than 10℃, mostly between 15 ~ 24℃. It is hotter in the south, such as Aden at the southern tip of the peninsula, where the annual average temperature is 28.9℃, July 32.5℃, 65438+1October 25.4℃, and the monthly average temperature exceeds 30℃ for four or five months. The absolute maximum temperature on the peninsula is often 50 ~ 55℃. The temperature in the peninsula varies greatly every year, generally above 15℃, and in some places it can reach about 20℃.
The Arabian Peninsula is dry with little rain. There is little precipitation on the peninsula, and the annual precipitation in most areas is below100 mm.
Air links: Riyadh (central), Jeddah (western) and Dammam (eastern) are three major international airports, which are important air traffic passages in and out of Saudi Arabia. I have a more convenient route with Saudi Arabia: Riyadh-Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific flight, twice a week).
Local currency: Saudi currency name: riyal, with a stable value, with US$ 65,438+0 exchanged for riyal 3.75.
Tax: There is no income tax in Saudi Arabia, and there is no extra tax for shopping in the market.
Electricity, tap water and gas: The voltage of 1 10 or 220 supplied by residents in Saudi Arabia is different, and the label is unclear, so it must be tested first to avoid burning electrical appliances.
Dress etiquette: Saudi men usually wear Arabic clothes (headscarves, white robes, cloaks with gold edges, sandals or shoes for formal occasions), and occasionally wear suits. Women are not allowed to drive when they go out and cover their heads with black gauze. Social parties are separate for men and women.
Dress exposure is strictly prohibited in Saudi Arabia, and foreigners are no exception. Foreign women must wear Abaya when he goes out. In order to avoid the trouble of religious police, it is best to wear a headscarf, but you don't need to cover it. They should wear long-sleeved dresses long enough to cover their wrists and feet. When wearing pants, their shirts should be covered under their hips. Even diplomats, ladies are no exception. Men have fewer restrictions, and it is not advisable to wear shorts to the streets except on the sports ground. Greetings between men vary from friendship to friendship. They usually shake hands, then grab each other's right shoulder with their left hand and kiss each other's cheek. Only the opposite sex can't shake hands and kiss cheeks.
Saudi Arabia has a relaxed style and likes to talk big. It is necessary to start with easy topics such as emotional greetings. It would be considered rude to come straight to the point. When attending a local dinner party, you must eat with a knife and fork in your right hand.
Food and daily necessities: In addition to pork and wine, Saudi Arabia can import food. European high-end goods flood the market, and most of the daily necessities are more expensive than our country. There are many kinds of food and daily necessities. There are many western-style large supermarkets, which are convenient for shopping. There are also Korean shops, Thai shops and Indonesian shops selling oriental food, but the prices are relatively high and the types are limited.
Restaurants: There are many Chinese restaurants, western restaurants and Arabic restaurants to choose from in big cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Chinese restaurants in Riyadh include Huagong, Lailai, Nava, Riyadh, Hong Kong and many other Chinese restaurants.
Culture and entertainment: Saudi Arabia believes in Islam and has strict religious regulations prohibiting prostitution, gambling and drinking. There are no cinemas, karaoke bars, dance halls and other entertainment places.
Work and rest: Saudi Arabia uses Islamic calendar and Gregorian calendar, and the official uses Iranian calendar, 354 days a year, with two new moons as a month. The working hours of government agencies are from 7: 30 am to 2: 30 pm from Saturday to Wednesday. Bank Saturday to Wednesday from 8: 30am to1:00pm and 5: 00pm to 7: 00pm. Thursday is the weekend. Friday is Sunday. The time of worship is five times a day. Please refer to the local daily newspaper for the time of worship. All shops must be closed for about 30 minutes at a time during the worship period, and guests must stop shopping and leave, as well as restaurants, but guests who are dining can continue to eat. This big supermarket is open 24 hours a day. Guests can continue shopping within a week, but they are not allowed to leave the gate.
Important festivals: Ramadan (from 25th to 5th of June A.H., 10) and Eid al-Adha (12, 10), during which millions of Muslims from all over the world make a pilgrimage to Mecca).
Other taboos and precautions: Saudi Arabia not only prohibits women from driving, but also prohibits women from riding in the same car with men other than husbands, brothers and family drivers (drivers are not allowed to sit next to drivers when driving), so attention should be paid to avoiding violations; Women must wear abaya when they go out, or the religious police will intervene.
Taking photos in public places, scenic spots or some buildings is not allowed in Saudi Arabia. If you want to take pictures, you should be vigilant to avoid misinterpreting the motivation of taking pictures and causing trouble.
Saudi Arabia forbids taking pictures in public. You can't take pictures of people without your permission, especially women in Saudi Arabia. Otherwise, the religious police will stop and expose the paper or cause other troubles.
Traffic safety and travel precautions: local people like to drive fast and have a high accident rate. Recently, Saudi Arabia has increased traffic penalties. In order to avoid imprisonment and flogging, and for their own safety, drivers should obey the traffic rules, pay attention to the left and right vehicles and drive carefully.
Treat people and things: Unless you are very close friends, generally don't ask about private affairs, including his (her) family affairs, let alone what his (her) wife or husband does.
In public social occasions, don't talk about not stealing fast.
First of all, we should pay tribute to the elderly and provide services, regardless of their social status.
When visiting friends and other people's homes, even if you don't drink it, you should accept the first cup of coffee served by the host to show your gratitude to the host for his hospitality.
Don't accept more than three cups of coffee (Arabic coffee) unless you are traditionally more ordinary and intimate friends.
Shake the coffee cup or teacup gently, or cover the cup with your palm, indicating that you don't need anything anymore. When the host comes to get the cup, he should take it back with his right hand.
When you treat an invitation from a friend or other person, you should refuse it once or twice with a natural attitude, and then accept it with a kind and elegant expression.
If possible, written invitations to friends or others should be replied in the same language, indicating that the invitation has been received.
After receiving an invitation from a Saudi friend and accepting it, you should go to the appointment on time.
When inviting male and female Saudis to social ceremonies, do not consider the question of male and female guests invited, because male and female guests are always separated in Saudi Arabia.
When you plan to invite more than one person to a private party, you should try to make every guest feel harmonious and get along well with other guests.
Getting along with traditional Saudi families, when eating together, do as the Romans do and sit cross-legged is a traditional habit of Saudis.
Don't touch your lips or tongue with your fingers when eating on a plate.
When accepting food from other Saudi guests, remember to send it to them. And you can only use the first three fingers of your right hand, never use your left hand.
There should be some untouched food on the plate after eating.
When you see the host taking out incense or eating, you should leave as soon as possible.
Clothing:
Don't ask Saudi men to take off their headscarves and headdresses on any occasion.
Don't expect Saudi women to unveil their veils in front of men other than their families.
Dress appropriately in public.
Saudis are forbidden to give things to others with their left hands. Think the left hand is not clean. Send things with your right hand, not with both hands.
taboo
Don't talk with your hands crossed.
When talking or face to face, countries in the Middle East and the Near East have a habit: don't cross your hands. In Libya, if you move out of this set, it will be considered as insulting each other. In fact, in any country, crossing your hands is regarded as "arrogant" or "impolite". In the Middle East and the Near East, this is considered to be more serious, regarded as "insult" or "challenge".
Dolls can't be gifts.
Muslims strictly prohibit idolatry. In Middle Eastern countries, dolls and other things that look like portraits are forbidden to be used as decorations at home. Their explanation is: keep it at home and watch it every day. Over time, it will form the result of "idolatry". So in these countries, don't take dolls as gifts, or you will be mistaken for looking down on their religion.
It is forbidden to wear clothes with star patterns.
Egypt and Arab countries reacted strongly to people wearing star-patterned clothes and were very dissatisfied. The reason is that its political rival, Israel, has a star pattern on its flag. Besides clothes, wrapping paper with star patterns is not popular.
No wine
Religions in Kuwait, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Lebanon and other countries prohibit drinking. For them, drinking is the direct way to evil. For people who have given up drinking, you should avoid giving alcohol, because this behavior is tantamount to openly persuading him to break it, absolutely not.
The national customs and habits of Arabs
Clean right hand, unclean left hand
Arabs have a special way of eating. They usually sit on the floor, break bread into small pieces or knead rice into small balls, pinch them with a few fingers of their right hand and send them into their mouths. Even dishes with soup can be eaten completely. In fact, eating by hand is not an exclusive "patent" for Arabs. There are hundreds of millions of people who eat with their hands all over the world, and their lives can extend from North Africa to the South Asian subcontinent.
According to the living customs of Arabs, their right hand is always clean, so when eating, they must send food directly into their mouths with their right hand, not their left hand, because in their traditional concept, the left hand is unclean and can only be used to help the right hand tear food. Even when working in peacetime, Arabs use their right hands more. Local women are always busy with their right hands, while their left hands tightly hold the long cloth wrapped around their bodies under their armpits, occasionally making room for help, and then suddenly retracting.
Saudi Arabia, one of the rich countries in the Middle East, is the largest oil exporter in the world, with a relatively simple economic structure, mainly exporting oil, but consumer goods mainly rely on imports. In addition, among the nearly 6.5438+0.7 million people in Saudi Arabia, there are nearly 5 million foreign residents, belonging to the low-wage class, who need low-cost and practical goods. Therefore, the Saudi market is a potential market with openness, large consumption and wide demand levels. Many exporters regard the Middle East as a potential market for their business expansion.
I. Import tariffs on Saudi goods
In order to protect domestic industrial development, Saudi Arabia imposes an import tax of 20% on all imported products close to domestic industries, and the tariff rate for other unrelated products is 12%. Some consumer goods and raw materials and accessories used in industrial production are exempt from customs duties. The import tax rates of some related products are as follows: 1, tobacco products: 30%; 2. Furniture and aluminum products: 20%; 3. Plastic pipes and steel pipes: 20%; 4. Household appliances, lamps and building materials: 12%. Equipment and raw and auxiliary materials needed for contracted projects should be purchased from domestic manufacturers and importers first. If it is really not available in China, it is allowed to import from abroad. Tariffs range from 0 to 4%, and Gulf Cooperation Council members are exempt from taxes (including UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman). Dubai, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is a free trade port with an import tariff of only 4%. As long as you get the certificate of origin of the United Arab Emirates, you can export to Saudi Arabia without import tax. At present, many domestic import and export companies and enterprises have offices in Dubai. It can be said that Dubai is a city where business and business opportunities gather, and it is also a place frequented by Saudi buyers. Of course, many local importers in Saudi Arabia also use false prices to avoid tariffs.
Second, Saudi Arabia's special requirements for food imports.
As an Islamic country, food import requires a certificate of ingredients and a certificate of consumer protection issued by the manufacturer. Meat imports include poultry and livestock, and livestock can only be fresh or frozen meat of rams and bulls. At the same time, it is necessary to have a certificate of slaughter according to Yilan law and an official health and quarantine certificate. Cereals, seeds, animal feed, livestock, pets, horses, fruits, vegetables and electrical equipment need special relevant documents. For goods with an amount less than $2,000, relevant documents can be exempted.
The Saudi government also stipulates that many imported products must be certified by the Saudi Standardization Organization (SASO). Enterprises with specific related products and related matters can consult SASO Hong Kong Office (Contact: Ms. Linda Wu; Tel:+852 28548219/8; Fax: +852 28 154990).
It should be noted that SASO certification should basically be applied by Saudi importers, and export enterprises should not bear this cost. Corruption is common in Saudi Arabia, a highly centralized country. Many imported goods are certified with money, and many things can be done with money here. Of course, it is best for export enterprises to understand some relevant regulations of SASO to avoid unnecessary troubles in the future.
Third, the requirements of local businessmen for China goods.
Saudi businessmen attach great importance to the quality of China's products and are very strict about the price. Some light industrial products have to be ordered by samples, and they also compare and bargain with each other in price. At present, the price of crude oil in the international market has risen sharply, and the pockets of the Saudi people have swelled again. However, people have experienced the pain of low oil prices in previous years, and their consumption behaviors and concepts have become cautious. In addition, increasing their understanding of Islamic culture can help exporters choose and adjust the types of products exported to Saudi Arabia and help them deal with importers.
Fourth, other business conditions.
The business conditions in Saudi Arabia are relatively good and the business environment is relatively relaxed. Saudi Arabia has no foreign exchange control, free access to funds, no quota restrictions and trade barriers, which is conducive to international trade. The long-term goal of the government's industrial policy is to diversify Saudi Arabia's economic base and reduce its excessive dependence on oil exports. The government strongly encourages foreign investment and cooperation. For related matters, please consult the Saudi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Tel:+96614053200/4057502; Fax: +966 1 4024747).
In addition, in business dealings with Saudi Arabia, we should also pay attention to some basic common sense. For example, catamaran days in Saudi Arabia are on Thursdays and Fridays instead of the usual Saturdays and Sundays. Some commercial enterprises only rest on Fridays. The working hours of the government are generally only from 7: 30 in the morning to 2: 30 in the afternoon; Other companies usually have a time difference of 5 hours between 9: 30 am and 2: 00 pm, and 4: 30 pm and 8: 00 pm.
Verb (abbreviation of verb) The latest economic and trade development of Saudi Arabia
1. The Saudi Industrial Development Foundation approved a loan of 1.43 billion USD for eight industrial projects.
200165438+On February 25th, the board meeting of the Foundation approved loans for eight new industrial projects, namely, the production of gasket materials, dairy products, the expansion of red brick factory, the production of mirror glass, the production of liquid packaging container materials, the production of packaging materials, the production of paraffin wax and the production of industrial cleaner raw materials. The total loan is 538 million rials, about 654.38 million+43 million US dollars. So far, the Saudi Industrial Development Foundation has approved 2,384 loans with a total loan amount of 40,226.3 billion rials, or about 654.38+0,072.7 million US dollars.
2. China's ranking among Saudi importers continues to move forward.
According to Saudi newspapers, the trade between China and Saudi Arabia has been growing continuously since 1997. Among the major countries exporting to Saudi Arabia, China has been advancing. From the eighth place of 1999 to the seventh place in 2000, in the first quarter of 2006, 5438+0 rose to the fifth place again, surpassing Italy, France and South Korea. According to Saudi statistics, China exported US$ 898 million to Saudi Arabia in197 and US$ 958 million in198, an increase of 6.6%. 1999 increased to $980 million, an increase of 2.3%; In 2000, it soared to165438+96 million USD, an increase of 22%. In the first quarter of 2000/kloc-0, China exported 272 million US dollars to Saudi Arabia, ranking behind the United States, Japan, Germany and Britain and surpassing Italy, France and South Korea.