The State of Women in Business in Saudi Arabia

The question of whether women in Saudia Arabia should involve themselves in business has persisted for quiet some time.However the issue still remains to be understood whether women are allowed to participate in business dealings or not.Its true that just like many women around the world face alot of challenges in terms of equality,leadership,their participation in business among other things.The case is no different for muslim women in Saudi Arabia who for many years have undergone through the same ordeal s,which has not only been brought about by the religion but also by the cultures in Saudi Arabia.in this essay i will discuss the role of women in business with consideration to how they have been percieved to be in the past and what has changed (Nahavandi, 2006).

Historical Context of Women's Business Participation

Until recently ,women had been denied their rights to participate in various businesses as well as their social roles for opportunities that exists today.I think their participation in business transactions has changed with the continued availance of high education to girls in Saudi Arabia which leads to a more elaborate role in the business world.Though the carreer opportunities are somehow controlled ,it isn’t that overstated since more women are still finding their way to leadership positions in the oil companies to even the rank of an executive officer.Prince Adelah once stated that if more women would be involved in the work force,the number would rise tremedously improve and hence reduce the number of the unemployed.The princess said, “We have to open the door for women in the fields of energy and transportation. Women have to be included in the decision-making process.” (Saudi Arabia, n.d) This suggest that the leaders have realized of the major boost women would impact the business world (weforum, 2010.).

The Role of Education

The purpose of the negotiation is to try and come up with a business draft with a potential Saudi Arabia potential business person.The kind of negotiation we plan to engage in requires one who understands the various cultures of the citizens of Saudi Arabia .This is of uttmost importance since ,for a successful business deal in this country ,it requires one who knows their etiquette and the manner in which to behave in regard to inter-personal relationship.So prio preparations and a good understanding of the business culture would mean a success in the dealer. The religious holidays of Ramadan and hajj together with their daily prayers breaks should be well understood before planning business meetings.For this reason i will be more inclined to use the experienced woman executive whom we can capitalize on to ensure successful transactions.Some of the adjustments we would make is to ensure that foremost that we are well conversant with the customs of the muslims to avoid any dissappointments along the transactions.

Cultural Sensitivity and Business Etiquette

We would first opt to make a business schedule once we get to Saudi Arabia as most of the business-people like to attends to meetings once the other party has jetted in the country.We should also be sensitive of the attire we put on as the natives of the country are critical on how their counter-parts are dressed.Our busines cards which we would use for exchange needs to be printed in English on one side and Arabic on the other side.Since most clients are interested in face-to-face transactions ,we would ensure to conduct several meetings to ensure everyone is comfortable with the ther party.This would mean that signing of agreements and contracts are done from a freee consent of both parties (Shoult, 2002).

Team Dynamics and Negotiation Strategy

The implications my decision would have on why i would opt for a female negotiator is the fact that ,all members of the team should be all involved in ensuring the succeesful fullfilment of the business deal since this is core reason why we are in business world. This dcision should also act as a challenge to male executives to involve themselves more in learning the various cultures that exist so that as business world conyinues go global ,our businesss would not be left behind (Rehman,2007).