258 CultureShock! Egypt
The conversation may follow many forms, but eventually
both participants or groups must somehow establish their
bona fi des in order for the dealings to go forward.
Always, always, always, start business negotiations with
the highest ranking person you possibly can. Manoeuvring
through the system becomes exponentially easier the higher
up you start. It is easy to work down a system, but often much
more diffi cult to work up one. However, don’t forget the just
beginning son of an important businessman, politician or
leader either. Once he is convinced, he may well be able to get
his father or uncle interested in your business proposal.Business Dress
Fairly formal is the custom. Remember Egyptians tend to
dress a little more formally for most occasions than do
Westerners anyway. Dress for men should most often include
a jacket and tie, especially for the fi rst meeting. You may
fi nd that your Egyptian counterpart is dressed a little more
casually during the summer months, but again, it is better
to be a bit overdressed than underdressed. You can always
remove your jacket if the situation warrants. Women’s dress
should either be a conservative dressy sort of dress (not
after-fi ve or cocktail type) or a business suit. Defi nitely do
not wear short skirts—the hemline should be at least below
the knees.Business Cards
Come armed with lots of business cards! It is customary to
exchange cards with people you meet, especially all people
attending business meetings. Even if you are not working
(male or female), you should have some cards printed to give
to people when you meet them.
If you can, have them printed on both sides—one side in
English and the other in Arabic. If not, one side in English
is acceptable. Many people in Egypt have several phone
numbers printed on their cards. Typically, these will include
home phone numbers as well as email addresses and
business and fax numbers. So if you want to impress your
Egyptian colleagues with your sincerity and knowledge of