Doing Business in the Middle East

The Middle East has for a long time been at the centre of global trade as well as political interest. Demographic and social change shifts in global economic power, rapid urbanisation, climate change and resource scarcity, and significant technological development make this region both complex and hugely important. Doing Business in the Middle East highlights both the opportunities and constraints confronting foreign investors in the region and proposes strategies on how best to overcome them. The book explores the existing and emerging political and legal frameworks, sociocultural patterns, national infrastructures, regulatory environment, conflict resolution and how to negotiate in the Middle East. It also provides useful insights into how to approach advertising and marketing, promotion and distribution, and also at the strategies for investing in the region and appropriate modes of entry. With a number of features such as case studies, examples of effective and ineffective practices, clear takeaways, and a note on a future agenda on each given topic, this book is highly practical. Based on robust research, this comprehensive guide to doing business in the Middle East is an ideal reference tool for potential foreign investors, those who are already doing business or intend to do so in the region, and for a range of business and policy decision-makers. The book is also suitable for students and researchers in the fields of international management and business, international and strategic HRM, cross-cultural management, and business communication.

Pawan Budhwar is the 50th Anniversary Professor of International HRM, Head of Aston Business School, and an Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor International (India) at Aston University, UK. Vijay Pereira is Full Professor of International and Strategic Human Capital Management and Department Chair of People and Organizations department at NEOMA Business School, France.

List of Figures List of Tables Contributors Preface PART I The Middle East Business Context 1 The Middle East Context: An Introduction Pawan Budhwar and Vijay Pereira 2 Economic Environment in the Middle East: Facts and Initiatives Dimitrios Reppas and Yama Temouri 3 The Political Environment in the Middle East: A Comparative Analysis of the UAE, Egypt, and Iraq Abdul-Nasser El-Kassar, Sophie Lythreatis and Tamirace Fakhoury 4 Changing Legal Framework of the GCC Countries T.P. Ghosh 5 Wasta in the Middle East: A Corruption or an Opportunity Mohammad Ta'amnha, Susan Sayce and Olga Tregaskis PART II Conducting Business in the Middle East 6 Entry Modes to Middle East-GCC Markets: The Case of the UAE Vijay Pereira, Bhaskar Dasgupta, Daicy Vaz and Glenn Muschert 7 Employment Relations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Mike Leat and Ghada El-Kot 8 Banking and Financial Institutions in the Gulf Cooperation Council Region Vikash Ramiah, Vijay Pereira, Bhaskar Dasgupta, Alex Frino and Huy Pham 9 Accounting and Taxation Systems in the Middle East Peter Rampling and Albert Wijeweera 10 Managing Human Resources in the Middle East Pawan Budhwar, Vijay Pereira and Mohammed Aboramadan 11 Conflict Management and Negotiation in the Middle Eastern Workplace Gita Bajaj and Ahmad Said Al-Shuabi 12 Performance Management in the Middle East Shahina Javad 13 Expatriate Management in the Middle East Prerna Kumari PART III Emerging Themes 14 Gender Issues at the Workforce in the Middle East Maryam Aldossari and Sara Chaudhry 15 Innovation: The Unconventional Gateway to the Middle East Yassir Nasief and Abdulrahman Basahal 16 Government e-Services and Reputation: Case of UAE Fatima Al Ali, Melodena Stephens and Vijay Pereira Index