Introduction
The GCC region is named after the political association of six nation states on the Arabian Peninsula, adjoining the Arabian Gulf: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These are nations that have been rich in oil or gas through the last century. The countries have monarchies. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was formed in 1981.
The nations share the Arabic language and the Islamic faith, but each country is very different. For example, they vary significantly in wealth, population density, religious balance (Shia Muslim, Sunni Muslim, other), expat population (proportion and source), dialect, politics (liberal, conservative), forms of representation (parliaments, councils), modern infrastructure and ambition.
For many in the world, the Middle East overall is associated with strife but, to balance the generalisations that are sometimes highly critical, and often false, the GCC region is characterised by great qualities. In many areas, the culture strongly values family, faith, peace, brotherhood, tolerance and hospitality. Traditional areas enjoy their local gatherings of friends and family in coffee shops and the majlis. A sense of humour is as important as the occasional boisterous row. Haggling is normal. The weather tends towards being very hot, of course, yet there is such difference between the harsher dry, desert areas and prosperous, modern fully air-conditioned cities.
To live in the GCC properly is to know when to be indoors and when to venture out. To know when to laugh and when to argue. To know when to work, when to pray and when exactly to take a holiday in southern Oman as the cooling winds blow in from the Indian Ocean.
Or when to travel to all the remarkable places nearby – for example across the region, westwards into the Mediterranean, south into Africa, east to the Seychelles or Maldives, or on to south and south east Asia. There is such beauty and such history to be found.
To maintain perspective and an open mind, it is perhaps worth remembering that the region has not always been desert. About 120,000 years ago, the monsoon came much further north than it does today and so the deserts we see now – perhaps in Saudi Arabia or in the western parts of the UAE – were once green and fertile valleys and hills. With climate change, future generations may one day see those conditions return.
Living in the GCC
Today, living in Dubai or Abu Dhabi is not so very different from living in Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney, Toronto, London or New York. There are skyscrapers, modern roads and infrastructure, and an international experience of hotels and restaurants providing diverse cuisine and high standards of service and hospitality.
Living in the other major cities of the region – for example Riyadh and Jeddah, Kuwait and Qatar, Dammam and Bahrain – are less western but the infrastructure is still very modern.
Living in outlying places – in parts of Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE for instance – takes you away from the air conditioning and into the everyday life of the traditional Arab world.
Of course, most of the schools are in cities or towns where accommodation is better built and better serviced, and shops and facilities offer greater variety.
Behaviour, custom and tradition in the GCC
There are some good guidelines to follow in terms of personal behaviour. Occasionally, the media will carry stories about what happened when a visitor to the region behaved badly. The longer you live in the region, of course, the more you learn to interpret these stories and the more you can tell about what is exaggerated or simply misunderstood. It is good to acknowledge the guidelines, however, and they are a valuable starting point in terms of avoiding any misunderstandings:
- Learn some Arabic – have you ever been anywhere where it hurts to try their language?
- Be respectful of the Islamic faith at all times
- Wear clothes in public that cover your shoulders and knees
- Avoid public displays of affection
- Show respect to the local police and authorities
- Remain patient and friendly even if you are in a challenging situation
- Men should not try to shake hands with a woman (unless she offers first)
- Women should not try to shake hands with a man (unless he offers first)
- Remove your shoes if you will be sitting on the floor or a rug
- Avoid showing the bottom of your shoes to your companions, hosts or an audience
- Leave a little on your plate to signal there was plenty of food and choice
- Don’t criticise the country you are travelling in
- Avoid using aggressive hand gestures
- Apologise if you make a mistake
There are other ways to be clever about the way you behave and the impression you leave. It is unfortunately true that some people who visit the region and sell ‘western’ products and services as if they are must-haves, and don’t require any adaptation for the GCC environment, make fools of themselves. They forget that the West has been peddling promises and solutions for over 100 years – and sometimes over 200 years – which often turned into dust as soon as they left.
Equally, it doesn’t help if someone’s conversation is always about how much better the West (or just ‘somewhere else’) is. Nobody likes to be patronised. And ‘face’ is important to people in this region. Never do anything that makes someone else feel belittled.
If you want to make a life and a business in the region, you have to live on the ground and go through an apprenticeship. Humility is the first step. Then you gain insight into when you should listen carefully and when you can might just call the bluff!
