By: Rana Alsweilem
From it’s beginning, the Middle East has been marked by ultimate diversity. Today, a lot is shared by the majority of Middle Easterners, such as the Arabic culture, language, religion, as well as a unique form of verbal and nonverbal communication. Every country and culture is unique for their own special features of communication that only the insiders can truly understand and appreciate. By traveling to the Middle East for instance, a person will not really be able to comprehend its people without truly understanding the powerful religious and cultural force of Islam that strongly affects how people communicate and understand one another in these countries. In the Middle East in general, while the communication pattern is both oral and aural- there is a clear emphasis on listening which may explain why many Arabs prefer to learn from audiocassettes and radio.
Many social customs are shared throughout the Gulf Arab countries. An Islamic greeting (al-salamu alaykom) which means “peace be upon you” is the most appropriate. A common form of greeting in the UAE between men who know each other well is to touch the nose together or to kiss the cheeks two or three times; however, it should be noted that the visitor is unlikely to encounter this form of greeting personally. On the other hand, women greet each other by kissing several times on both cheeks. And to show respect to someone, usually the elderly, it is appropriate to greet these people by kissing the forehead to show respect and appreciation. However, men normally do not shake hands with women in public because in their religion, Islam, it is forbidden for men and women who are strangers to touch hands as it might lead to dangerous and undesired emotions to arise. Yet it is acceptable for men and women to hold hands if they are married or related. It is also a unique tradition in the Middle East to ask about the health of a person and his or her family several times before beginning light conversation. When serious matters are to be discussed, it is appropriate to serve refreshments before getting into the discussion.
Moreover, when entering one’s private home, it is customary that the visitors take off their shoes before entering. However, with the rise of modernization and the influence of western societies, many people today do not expect their guests to take off their shoes before entering, now seen as a more traditional and old fashioned way. When speaking however, it is customary not to use first names but to say "father or mother of (oldest son)." Respect and courtesy to the elders is taken very seriously in the Gulf countries, including the UAE. In their presence, young men are expected to listen more and speak less.
One of the long lasting traditions in all the Arab countries is to serve their guests Arabic coffee with dates. However, there is a certain way of appropriately serving this coffee, which is holding the coffee pot which is called “Dallah” in your left hand and handing the person the small cup of coffee which is called the “finjan” with your right hand. Many people, especially the elderly, might take it offensively if you hand them the coffee with your left hand to the extent that they may not take the “finjan” from you, which has happened to one of my friends when she unconsciously handed her grandfather the “fnjan” of coffee with her left hand.
Further looking into the unique verbal communications in the UAE, as well as many Arab countries, it is traditional to always thank someone by praying for them such as saying “may God keep you well and healthy”, “may God give you a long life” and “may God keep you safe and happy”. It is also polite to thank someone for a meal by saying “may God provide you with more goods” or “may God make you wealthier and richer”.
As it is easy to understand the verbal communication in one country, the nonverbal communication is much more complicated and confusing from one culture to another. A clear example that shows how non-verbal communication can be very deceiving is what happened to my Palestinian friend when she used a hand gesture that means “wait a second” in the Middle East, yet was perceived as “shut up” by an American who got so mad that he called security on my friend who was only asking him to wait for a second while she was on the phone. As funny as this little anecdote might sound, misinterpreting nonverbal communication can lead to very serious issues between different people from different cultures.
In conclusion, the presence of many ethnic groups has led Emiratis to be tolerant of other social customs. However, they still remain conscious of their own customs as markers of their cultural identity.
Works Cited:
1. Moore, Lynda. "Presentation on the United Arab Emirates." Simmons College. Class Lecture. College, Boston. 05 Apr. 2007. 09 Apr. 2007
2. Manyana. "Middle East Local Customs." Virtual Tourist. 13 Feb. 2006. 09 Apr. 2007
3. "Culture of United Arab Emirates." Everyculture. 2007. 09 Apr. 2007
4. Aldabal, Kholoud. Personal interview. 09 Apr. 2007.
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