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Photos: Privat Lange, Privat Kr\u00f6ning, Alamy Stock ZUMA Press Inc, iStockphoto: Lera Danilova \/Theresa Tibbetts\/ Liudmyla\u00a0 Klymenko, Universit\u00e4t Bremen, iStockphoto: James Alexander<\/p>\n
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Karsten Lange, who handled North African business for a Bremen shipping company for many years and was a frequent visitor to the region, sums up the basic requirements for doing business there. \u201eFirst of all, you have to build up a relationship of trust with your trading partner and maintain it. This doesn\u2018t happen overnight and certainly not just with emails, phone calls and video conferences.\u201c You have to show up in person on site regularly and spend as much time there as possible. \u201eArabs are usually quite distant at first and take longer to get to know you than westerners,\u201c says Lange.<\/p>\n
For business travellers from Europe, this means being patient and holding back early on. Politics and religion are not suitable for the initial stages of the relationship. \u201eFootball is almost always a good topic to start with. It brings people together and is very popular in North Africa,\u201c says Lange. Volker Kr\u00f6ning, Honorary Consul of Morocco, agrees. \u201eA conversation about the African Champions League is possibly a good introduction. Since 2017, the finals have all been North African teams.\u201c At the same time, he recommends studying the history and culture of each country in advance. \u201eDifferences matter as much as similarities. Those who are familiar with both are best equipped to shape business relationships productively,\u201c says Kr\u00f6ning.<\/p>\n
Both these North Africa experts also point out that the clocks in the Maghreb tick differently than in Europe (Arab proverb: \u201eYou have the watches. We have the time\u201c). There are often more important things for people there than keeping to exact time slots. Statements like \u201eHe\u2018ll be back in an hour\u201c or \u201eCome back tomorrow\u201c shouldn\u2018t be taken at face value. Kr\u00f6ning points out that punctuality is expected of German companies, \u201ebut it\u2018s clearly a one-way street, because it is rarely kept to by the locals in return.\u201c Lange advises against scheduling several appointments in quick succession. \u201eEven the first appointment can cause delays that will make subsequent appointments run late,\u201c says the ex-shipowner manager. Against this background, he also recommends cultural sensitivity. Meetings in the region could well be interrupted several times a day due to prayers. Scheduling meetings during Ramadan may not be advisable, as the hosts might have limited energy due to fasting.<\/p>\n
Once the meeting has begun, be respectful, pay attention to non-verbal signals and read between the lines. \u201ePoliteness and form are more stringent there than in Germany. You need to act diplomatically and respectfully,\u201c says Kr\u00f6ning. \u201eYou will never hear an unequivocal \u201aNo\u2018 in the Maghreb, because it\u2018s considered rude,\u201c says Lange. In the event of a rejection, the people in charge usually talk around things or don\u2018t even bring up the issue at all. Everything that is not answered with a clear \u201aYes\u2018 is considered rejected. \u2009\u201eNo matter how the issue develops in the course of the conversation, they are always careful to ensure that none of those involved lose face,\u201c says Kr\u00f6ning.<\/p>\n
The two Bremeners also agree that it takes a fair amount of improvisational talent to master the unique challenges on the ground, which are not limited to unclear time slots, unfamiliar conversation structures or indirectly communicated refusals. \u201eBut even this talent is only of limited help if it\u2018s not backed up by the appropriate expertise. The right mix of both is crucial,\u201c says Lange. Job titles on business cards are important. \u201eIn North Africa, the exchange of business cards is not as ceremonial as it is in Asia, but here too titles and hierarchies are important. If your title is less senior than managing director, you can only make a very limited difference in the Maghreb,\u201c says Lange. The beauty of North Africa, however, is that once trust has been acquired there, it is automatically passed on to the next generation, even in the case of business partners. \u201eDue to strong Arab family structures, this trust bonus is virtually hereditary. It\u2018s one of the nice things about doing business there.\u201c (bre)<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ module_class=”dtb-sticky” _builder_version=”4.4.8″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_sidebar area=”et_pb_widget_area_7″ show_border=”off” admin_label=”Werbung Startseite \/ Artikel” _builder_version=”4.5.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_sidebar][et_pb_sidebar area=”et_pb_widget_area_9″ show_border=”off” admin_label=”Werbung Artikel” _builder_version=”4.5.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_sidebar][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.logistics-pilot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/SKM_C30821061710180-c-privat-Kroening.jpg” title_text=”SKM_C30821061710180—c—privat-Kroening” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.9.4″ custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”25px||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Honorary Consul Volker Kr\u00f6ning (2nd from left) exchanged views with Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco (2nd from right) at the SIAM agricultural fair in Mekn\u00e8s in 2012.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.logistics-pilot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/ISTOCKPHOTO-LERA-DANILOVA-THERESA-TIBBETTS-LIUDMYLA-KLYMENKO.png” title_text=”ISTOCKPHOTO-LERA-DANILOVA–THERESA-TIBBETTS-LIUDMYLA–KLYMENKO” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.9.4″ custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”25px||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ prev_background_color=”#ffffff” _builder_version=”4.4.9″ background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”rgba(0,58,124,0.13)” background_color_gradient_end=”#ffffff” custom_padding=”0px||16px|||” top_divider_style=”waves2″ top_divider_height_tablet=”50px” top_divider_height_phone=”” top_divider_height_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.3″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.3″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.4″ header_2_font_size=”35px” custom_margin=”||5px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.4″ header_2_font_size=”35px” custom_margin=”||5px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.4″ text_text_color=”#002754″ text_font_size=”18px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Interview with Jochen Tholen, PhD, of the University of Bremen on the Arab Spring.<\/p>\n In December 2010\/early 2011, there was a series of protests and uprisings in the Arab region that have gone down in history as the Arab Spring, in the course of which several rulers were ousted. But what have these revolutions actually achieved?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.4.9″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.4.9″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.logistics-pilot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/tholen_photo-3-c-Universitaet-Bremen.jpg” title_text=”tholen_photo-3–c–Universitaet-Bremen” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.9.4″ custom_margin=”||25px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_blurb title=”Background” _builder_version=”4.9.4″ header_font=”|||on|||||” header_text_color=”#ffffff” header_font_size=”16px” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||20px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”25px||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_css_blurb_title=”display: inline-block!important;||background: #002754!important;||padding: 5px 13px 3px 13px!important;||position: relative!important;” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#002754″ global_colors_info=”{}” header_text_color__hover_enabled=”on|desktop” header_text_color__hover=”rgba(255,255,255,0.71)”][\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Jochen Tholen, PhD<\/strong><\/p>\n teaches at the University of Bremen, focusing on the maritime sector (especially shipbuilding\/shipyards and deep-sea mining) and transition societies (Central-Eastern Europe and countries of the former Soviet Union and the Arab region). He also led the EU-funded research project SAHWA, which focused on young people\u2018s experience of, and disappointment with, the Arab Spring from 2014 to 2017.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.4.9″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n It was a revolt, especially by young people, against the lack of opportunities for political, economic and social inclusion. Hundreds of thousands protested against dictators and autocratic rulers. The protesters demanded social justice, freedom and dignity. But the authoritarian regimes in the region were quick to repress them, bolstering their security forces and learning from one another the techniques of repression. The few cosmetic reforms that were granted were always accompanied by preventive measures to guard against further unrest. Today, authoritarian states and repressive systems still dominate the region. The military regime in Egypt and the Gulf monarchies have led the counter-revolution. In Syria, Yemen and Libya, the Arab Spring has ended in fiasco with civil wars and mass emigration.<\/p>\n Ten years on, what are the main societal challenges in the region?<\/strong> Some people think these countries are worse off now than they were eleven years ago. Is that a view you share?<\/strong> Some say that the majority of Arabs believe that western-style democracy is the best form of government? Do you think there is a realistic chance of that happening<\/strong> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you\u2018re doing business in North Africa, remember the continent is a collection of individual countries, each with its own customs and culture. So it pays to do your homework.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":56293,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-behind-the-scenes-en"],"yoast_head":"\n\u201eThe hopes for a political turning point have not yet been realised\u201c<\/h2>\n
THOLEN: Mainly demographic change and social and economic injustice. In 1970, there were 128 million people living in the Arab region. By 2010 there were almost 360 million. According to UN forecasts, by 2050, it could be almost 600 million. This would be a fivefold increase in population In less than a century. Rising population numbers bring problems such as water shortages, high unemployment and, above all, a lack of economic prospects for young people. Another problem is the Arab variety of clientelism, called wasta. Only by cultivating a relationship with political and economic elites can one have a career that allows one to feed the family and lead a life worth living. The tentacles of the wasta system reach far into the functioning of state-owned enterprises, the civil service and the military. It leads to a small stratum of the population doing very well, but overall to economic stagnation and a lack of international competitiveness.<\/p>\n
THOLEN: Hopes for a political turning point have not yet been fulfilled. Only in Tunisia has a fragile democracy emerged, but in some places conditions are worse than before. In this respect, the Arab Spring has hardly fulfilled any of the expectations associated with it. That is why, on the one hand, it can be described as a failed revolution, but on the other hand, it has shown for the first time that many people in the Arab world were also prepared to take to the streets for their rights, to abolish despotism and to demand far-reaching reforms.<\/p>\n
THOLEN: Western-style liberal democracy is not necessarily seen as the preferred form of government by everyone in the region. But if it were, a genuine transformation in the Arab world have to start with free elections. At least as important would be the development of an organised civil society, a change in gender relations and a clear separation of state and religion. But I think that all this happening together is rather unrealistic, especially since many people in North Africa have lost faith in politics and democracy. (bre)<\/em><\/p>\n