Trade between China and the UAE is booming. Last year, the business done by the two regions exceeded AED 169.67, equivalent to $46 billion, with as many as 4,000 Chinese companies registered in the UAE at the end of 2013. Activity is on the up, as the new Chinese middle class get the taste for international travel and the UAE is a popular destination. In response to the rising trend, UAE’s Minister of State, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, visited China for trade talks to explore further collaboration across various sectors including infrastructure, energy and technology.

“We see tremendous opportunities for both economic partners, including the benefits of our shared values, and common political and economic interests,” says Dr Al Jaber. “In turn this will feed in as a contribution to the broader global economy.”

It’s no secret that the Chinese economy is one of the global success stories of the last decade. Chinese tourists have huge spending power and host countries need to be prepared to welcome them in the right way. How can tourism service providers in the UAE familiarise themselves with Chinese culture and tastes? How can they create the right environment to ensure these visitors will have a positive experience and will not only want to return, but will tell their friends? 

The web site (in particular the landing page) of your company or organisation is likely to be the first experience of the prospective Chinese visitor, whether end user/consumer, or upstream provider such as travel agent or airline. Handling Chinese translation is key, both in terms of identifying the needs and wishes of Chinese tourists, and in conveying accurately what’s on offer. Remember that the primary marketing goal is to encourage Chinese tourists to select your destination over and above the other global options available to them. At Kwintessential we stress the importance of understanding the differences and nuances of “traditional” and “simplified” Chinese characters. Our translators also incorporate key components of Chinese culture, when crafting Chinese marketing copy for UAE clients. 

UAE has set a goal of attracting 15 million visitors by 2020. It has been given preferred destination status by Beijing, which makes it easier for tour groups and individuals to arrange visits. Flagship hotels, such as the Burj Al Arab have seen numbers of bookings from Chinese soar. Dubai boasts the largest shopping mall in the world,  its biggest attraction, closely followed by the man-made islands and soaring modern towers.

Expertise provided by international companies such as Creative Word can provide that crucial bridge across the cultural divide, and establish a solid platform to take advantage of this new tourism opportunity. Our experts are happy to discuss with you a strategy to align your web site and general marketing presentation to the Chinese consumer.  Contact Us now for more information.

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Creative Word works with Abu Dhabi’s Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA) and with the Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau on a number of levels to help them achieve this goal. Translation is one of our primary services, but translation alone is not enough. We market content in eight different languages, tailoring it to the cultural climate of the target country. Content must not only be understood, but also it must “hit the spot” in terms of what the particular cultural priorities are.

Success is as much down to good preparation as to luck. It takes shrewd planning and a defined strategy to achieve the goal of putting Abu Dhabi on the world map of desirable convention destinations. The message must be defined and disseminated in an effective way, and most importantly, it must target the decision-makers who plan these corporate and consumer events.

Given the wide choice of convention destinations in a fiercely competitive world, how does Kwintessential assist the TCA and the Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau identify the unique selling points (USPs) of Abu Dhabi as a destination? The country has a great deal to offer to the global business community, and the emphasis is on selling the benefits and spreading the message loudly and clearly.

The approach is clearly paying off. In 2013, the Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau was launched with the remit of winning business. It has secured some prestigious events for 2014, including IATA, Ecocity Summit (2015) and further bookings for 2016.

As a destination, Abu Dhabi has it all, from the vast St. Regis meeting space, to a full range of world-class hotels, shopping, golf and leisure centres. The Abu Dhabi Suite connects its Two-Nation Towers via Sky Bridge at a dizzying height of 200 metres. Saadiyat Beach offers the perfect leisure and beach facilities for delegates from sun-starved Northern climes. Al Maryah Island is the next five-star facility to be developed for this market place, to be completed in 2017.

What matters is clear communication and broadcasting. The crowds won’t come unless they know about the marvellous experiences on offer. Kwintessential assists in promoting the benefits to corporations and organisations of combining work and rest, to make a memorable experience for delegates, and to encourage repeat business. This is a particular skill, which demands detailed understanding of local and visiting cultures, and how to manage the synergy between the two. Kwintessential takes a multi-cultural approach, employing expertise from all over the world to inform its understanding of their clients’ needs and to meet the stated objectives. So far, it’s proving a good formula for success.

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The founder of  the website “Free Saudi Liberals” Raif Badawi was fined SAR1millon ($266k) and sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes.  This was increased from an initial sentence of 7 years in prison and 600 lashes as an appeals court ordered a retrial.

Following the Arab springs the cultural sentiment in the Saudi regime is to clamp down hard on anyone that challenges the rules and Badawi who was arrested in 2012 was close to being tried for apostasy, which carries the death penalty.

Badawi was originally charged with disobeying his father and cybercrime, where his website included articles critical of religious leaders in Saudi Arabia.  Alongside Badawi many others have been sentenced to prison for their role in allowing and encouraging demonstrations and hostilities against the Saudi regime.

The cultural makeup of the GCC is very different with the liberal accepting stance of the UAE, in particularly Dubai and Saudi Arabia where women are not allowed to drive.  One of the main reasons behind this is the hardline Wahhabi sect of Islam that rules Saudi Arabia.  Wahhabism or salafism as it is otherwise known has a literal understanding of Islamic jurisprudence and as a result, decisions and laws are passed on the understanding of the Judge rather than on a precedent.

With the confusion in religion and culture and the interpretation of the two, one thing is for sure the true Islamic understanding of tolerance and equality are a long way of and in the meantime Islam will continue to be challenged.

Contact us for more information on Islam and Arab culture

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The decision-making process for purchasing translation services can be problematic at the best of times. Whether you’re an experienced purchaser of translation services or someone who purchases on an ad hoc basis, following this simple, yet effective guide to choosing a translation company will relieve at least one of your business challenges.

The more information you can provide a translation company, the greater the chance of producing quality translations. A number of factors to consider are:

• Who is the target audience? Clarity regarding who will be interacting with your content is important so that the translator can tailor the translated material accordingly. Whether they are consumers, academics, senior executives or from a particular region will have a major impact on the tone and style used in the translation.

• What style of translation do you need? If you have a style guide which outlines the rules for how things should be translated, this will be of great help to the translator and enhance the consistency of your translations. Don’t worry if you don’t have one because a good translation company can provide you with theirs or help you to create your own. 

• Do you have any industry specific acronyms and terminology? Being able to provide this information for the translator will save a lot of research time, guarantee a higher level of accuracy and reduce the number of revisions. This can ultimately impact on costs – important for everyone!

Many translation companies will offer you a whole host of features for your translations. Rule to remember – “features” are nice to haves, but they aren’t essential. How can you distinguish between a feature and a benefit? Ask yourself – what’s in it for me?

A translation company which focuses on results over features is more likely to have a deeper understanding of your needs as a client and consequently enhance your satisfaction.

So, the question you need to ask is what are the results you need a translation company to help you achieve? Some of the factors which I’m sure will be important to you are:

• Increasing the accuracy of your translations > Eliminating those embarrassing mistakes which can be inherent in converting text from one language to another.

• Improving the quality and consistency of translated material > Reducing the need for lots of revisions which can take up a lot of your time and impact on your project schedule.

• Enhancing your organisation’s credibility with your target audience > Developing localized content which is tailored specifically for the people who will be interacting with your translated material.

Once you’re clear on the results you need, then you can sift through the features to find the translation company who has the right experience, knowledge, internal processes and attitude to meet your needs.

A simple Google search will provide you with a vast number of translation companies worldwide, so how will you choose? Ideally, the answers to the previous two steps of this guide will make this step infinitely easier. These following additional points will also help you narrow down the selection to the best 2-3 companies which you can contact to discuss your requirements.

• Experience will impact accuracy: Do they have experience in your industry or with the type of product/service your organisation provides? It’s likely that a specialist wrote your original content – someone who knows your industry, product or service. So you’ll need a specialist to translate your content.

• Knowledge will impact credibility: Are they knowledgeable about the region where your translations will be used i.e. cultural nuances, dialects, trends etc.? This is absolutely essential if your translated material will be used to sell or promote products, services, ideas or events to a particular group.

• Integrity will impact quality: Do they have recognised/accredited quality assurance processes such as ISO9001 and are they members of any translation associations? Accreditation processes require companies to demonstrate their competence in completing specific tasks. This in addition to membership of professional associations encourages compliance with industry standards and will give you some assurance that you’ll receive quality translations.

• Technology will impact consistency: Does the translation company employ computer assisted tools (CAT) to develop databases of regular vocabulary and jargon? Uniformity is important for business branding and is a good way to maintain a professional image. Companies that don’t use these tools are more likely to produce translations that rely on human judgement which can vary significantly. 

I hope this guide has been useful and will help you to make better decisions when considering a company to trust with your translation services. Our team here at Creative Word are extremely results-driven and consistently strive to produce translations which fully meet our client’s needs. Contact us for help enhancing your translations.

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Eid al-Fitr will soon be upon us and marks the end of Ramadan; the month of fasting for Muslims the world over and a remarkable achievement. We’re waiting for the sighting of the new moon which will either be 29 or 30 days following the start of Ramadan. Depending on where you are in the world, the festival can last from one to three days and is an absolutely joyous occasion! Prayer, new clothes, special sweets, money and toys for children, visiting loved ones; both alive and deceased. It’s a wonderful end to the month of worship, piety and patience; a time which Muslims eagerly await and welcome with great splendour and fanfare. Boy do Muslims know how to celebrate! 

Eid is the Arabic name for festival so you will hear the term often in relation to all festivals which occur throughout the year; 

1. Eid al Adha – Festival of the Sacrifice
2. Eid Milad – Birthday (of anyone)
3. Eid un Nabi – Birthday of the Prophet 

Eid al-Fitr is known as the lesser/smaller Eid and in some countries is called Eid Saghir. Eid al-Adha is the greater Eid or Eid Kabeer.

Traditions differ throughout the world however there are a few standard features of the Eid al-Fitr celebrations or what Muslims would call Sunnat al-Eid (the way the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, would have celebrated Eid).

1. Wake early to bathe and dress in clean clothes; where possible clothes should be new or at the least what would be termed in the western world as “Sunday Best”
2. Eat a good breakfast; a breakfast which is significantly special as it would be the first eaten during sunlight hours for a whole month!
3. Pay Zakaat-al-Fitr; a charitable payment to the poor in thankfulness to God for enabling an individual to observe the month of fasting
4. Walk to the local mosque or prayer ground, to offer prayers in an open space (except if the weather is really poor)
5. Pray the special Eid prayer in congregation. This should include all men, women and children.
6. Listen to the sermon (Khutbah) where the Iman will remind the community about their responsibilities and obligations to God, their brothers and sisters in Islam and to human kind as a whole

After the Eid prayer, traditions will vary depending on the local culture. In some countries like the UK where Eid is not a recognised holiday, some Muslims may head for work if they haven’t booked a day off in advance. However in Muslim countries where it would be a public holiday, celebrations can be anything from basic to lavish and extravagant.

Children play a big part in many traditions and they especially like to show off their new clothes and toys and spend their Eid money. I knew quite a few families in Egypt that would save all of their clean One Egyptian pound notes in the run up to Eid, ready to distribute to the children in the family once the festivities start.

Food is also a big feature and many cultures have an array of sweets and biscuits which they make especially for their families and for the abundance of friends and neighbours who will visit throughout the three days. In some countries, especially Muslims countries, non-Muslim friends and neighbours will also visit or call their friends to congratulate them on their achievement and share in the happiness. It’s a sign of respect and very much welcomed.

Street carnivals with funfair rides are common in some countries and decorating hands and feet with henna in others. Greetings of Eid Mubarak and Eid Saeed fill the air. Its smiles all around and there is an overwhelming sense of happiness in Muslim countries and households from East to West and North to South. I’ve said this before and will say it again, because it’s something which everyone should get to experience at least once in their life! If you’re invited to attend any festivities whether in a Muslim family’s home or outside, you absolutely must attend. You’ll understand what I mean if you do.

The Management and Staff at Creative Word, wish all clients and visitors to our website a wonderful and blessed Eid.

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An interesting study, named “Modern Spice Routes, The Cultural Impact and Economic Opportunity of Cross-Border Shopping” conducted by Paypal reveals some interesting statistics.

The six biggest markets, including the US, UK, Germany, Australia, China and Brazil are expected to triple in online shopping, from $105 billion in 2013 to $307 billion in five years.  With an estimated 94 million cross border customers its never been more important to be International and localize online offering from translating websites and marketing material to e-commerce functionality to allow easy purchasing.

With the boom in internet powered shoppers and an international market to purchase from the “modern spice routes” are truly offering local merchants the ability to tap into a global audience.

Chinese cross border shoppers

Out of the biggest markets, China is certainly booming in online cross-border transactions and with 18 million Chinese customers estimated to spend RMB 216 billion (approx. $35 billion) this year, China is a market not to be missed! The study reveals the top five cross border purchases for the Chinese market include:

1.  Apparel & accessories (RMB 22.0 billion)

2.  Health & beauty products (RMB 17.6 billion) 

3.  Computer hardware (RMB 13.5 billion)

4.  Jewellery, gems & watches (RMB 13.1 billion) 

5.  Personal electronics (RMB 12.9 billion)

With the growth in China over the next 5years expected to hit 35.9 million online cross border shoppers expecting to spend RMB1 trillion its worth translating websites into Chinese!

With International online shopping expected to increase globally for all regions its never been more important to ensure a good website translation and localizing your content and services for International customers.  Appealing to cross border audiences requires understanding of the target audience and cultural buying habits.  At Kwintessential Arabia we offer the services to ensure you sell successfully to the growing cross border shopping community.

Contact Us now for a free consultation on how Kwintessential Arabia can help you.

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The 1.6 million Muslims living in the world today come from a diverse range of cultures. Stretching from The Middle East to Asia and Europe to Africa, this diversity brings with it some amazing Ramadan traditions. I’ve picked a few of my favourites from around the world…

Fasting begins at dawn when the muezzin recites the adhan, calling the faithful to perform Salatul Fajr; the first of the five daily prayers. During Ramadan, many Muslims wake up for suhoor (the morning meal during Ramadan) at least one hour before the adhan.

Nowadays we have alarm clocks which we can set to wake us up, however in some parts of the Middle East and North Africa this was traditionally the job of the Musaharati. He would walk through the streets calling “Wake up sleepy one, praise God; Ramadan is the month of forgiveness (Es’ha ya nayem, wahed el dayem, Ramadan Karim, Es’ha ya nayem, wahed el razaq)” and then beat his drum three times. In some cities and villages he would even call individual households by name. The tradition is still alive in some places and was something I loved waking up to when I lived in Cairo, Egypt. So much better than an annoying alarm!

In some Muslim countries, families, friends and companies prepare Ramadan bags; packages of staple foods which they distribute to the less fortunate. The packages will usually contain dried and tinned foods such as pasta, rice, tuna and chopped tomatoes which can feed a family for at least one to two weeks during the month of fasting.

People standing on the roadside just before sunset, give dates and other dried fruits to drivers on their way home who may not make it in time for breaking the fast. I call it Date Throwing because they usually put the fruits through your car window and shout greetings as you fly past in your rush to get home!

Funnily enough food tends to play a key part in many Muslim households during Ramadan! It is Islamic tradition to break the fast with dates and goat milk and most cultures also have a special dish or dishes that they eat for their first meal. 

Here’s a taster: 

• Pakistan: Pakoras (fried vegetable fritters) and Fruit Chaat (spiced fruit salad)
• Libya: Sharba Libyia (a spicy tomato based soup with orzo pasta, chickpeas and pieces of lamb meat topped with sprinkles of dried mint)
• Albania: Byrek (pastry pie), Pastice (pasta with creamy sauce) and Pettulla (fried dough with a sweet or savoury filling)
• Bangladesh: Piyaji (spiced lentil and onion fritter) and Beguni (sliced eggplant deep fried in gram flour batter)
• Malaysia: Bubur lambuk (stew with fish and herbs)

The night prayers aren’t unique to any one culture, but they are one of my favourite Islamic traditions. You’ll find mosques all over the world packed tighter than a pop concert, with faithful Muslims standing and prostrating in prayer as the imam recites long sections of the Qur’an. The aim is usually to have completed the whole Qur’an by the end of Ramadan. It isn’t obligatory to perform these prayers in the mosque and many Muslims will do them at home. I love the unity and solidarity…

Wherever you are in the world, there will be large or small groups of Muslims fasting, worshipping and performing their Ramadan traditions. If you’re lucky enough to be invited to take part in any Ramadan activities, it will definitely be worth your while.

Contact Us if you would like support with Cross-cultural programmes within your organisation.

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The holy month of Ramadan is here and for 30 days Muslims around the world will be fasting from sunrise to sunset. The start of Ramadan depends on the sighting of the new moon, which can be seen on different days depending on where you are in the world. We thought it would be on the 9^th July this year, but it actually started on the 10^th. During the hours of fasting, Muslims abstain from eating food, drinking liquids, smoking and various other acts which as you can imagine is quite a challenge. While some may grimace at the thought of such “suffering”, Muslims all over the world take pleasure in this act of worship which is considered one of the highest forms of devotion and solely for God.

There is a lot more to Ramadan than simply not eating and drinking. It’s an infinitely more spiritual time for Muslims and involves a lot of reflection, prayer and increase in good deeds. These deeds may come in the form of charitable giving or simple, but deeply rewarding acts such as speaking well of others and being much nicer to family, friends, colleagues, neighbours and complete strangers! The sense of solidarity amongst Muslims is rarely as strong as during Ramadan. The knowledge that millions of people around the world are participating in the same expression of worship, feeling the same pangs of hunger and thirst, all bound by a shared devotion to God is immensely powerful. 

There can be other behavioural changes, such as with productivity, which some sources state can be reduced by as much as 35%. Understandable when you consider the lower energy levels. You may find your Muslim friends and colleagues rushing to tie up loose ends and get decisions made before Ramadan starts, in order to reduce disruptions to workflow. 

On a slightly less positive note, you may find that some people “develop” shorter tempers and can flare up at the slightest provocation. This is usually blamed on nicotine and caffeine deprivation; particularly hazardous in driving situations or in supermarket queues! The best thing to do if caught up in one of these situations is to understand it for what it is, not take it personally and try to diffuse the situation.

Common courtesy says yes. Where possible it is considered polite not to eat, drink, smoke, use bad language or back bite others in front of Muslims who are fasting. In some Muslim countries, the eating, drinking and smoking element is enforced by law as in the UAE. Muslims living in secular societies tend to be more tolerate of people around them eating and drinking, however would be touched and grateful if colleagues and friends showed sensitivity towards them too.

As you can imagine, when the time comes to break the daily fast at sunset, it’s a joyous occasion and many Muslims will celebrate (daily!) with a feast fit for royalty! If you’re fortunate to be invited for an “iftar” meal, then definitely accept the offer. It’s a sign of respect to share in the generosity, not to mention the amazing array of cuisines you’ll get to try. Within various Muslim cultures there are some foods which are only prepared during special occasions like Ramadan so you may not get another chance.

Common greetings you can use for your Muslim friends and colleagues include:

• Ramadan Kareem – Generous Ramadan
• Ramadan Mubarak – Blessed Ramadan
• Kul ‘am wa enta/enti bi-khair – May every year find you (he/she) in good health 

If you have non-Muslim employees that would benefit from Cultural Awareness training covering issues such as Muslim festivals like Ramadan and other cultural nuances, Contact Us. At Creative Word we design bespoke courses facilitated by expert trainers.

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The impact of this change in routine can mean work and decisions are delayed or put on hold. It can present immense frustration to non-Muslims who may not fully understand the importance of Ramadan for Muslims, and the challenges of “Nil by Mouth” for what can be up to 18 hours in some countries.

What sort of things should you consider when doing business during Ramadan?

It’s essential to understand how important Ramadan is for Muslims. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam which are obligatory for all Muslims. The rewards for sincerely and devotedly observing the 30 day fast are extremely high and there are limited valid reasons for not fasting.

The second most important thing to understand is the effects of fasting on the body and mind. Fasting isn’t intended to be easy and teaches Muslims patience and self-control; undergoing hardship based on faith in God and hope for eternal life in the hereafter. It’s also a reminder that there are people in the world who go without food every day; and not by choice! Abstinence from food and drink at the same time as trying to remain patient and upright is extremely difficult. In general Muslims will try to stay away from provocative situations in order to remain in a state of “purity”. You may a times hear fasting colleagues saying quietly to themselves “I’m fasting – Ana Siam”, which is a reminder to be calm, steadfast and keep pure thoughts.

Based on my experiences working in Muslim countries, the best advice I can give is be patient if you feel it’s taking longer than usual to make any progress in work. Think of it like Christmas, where large parts of the western world shut down or slow down for two to three weeks while people take a break for the holiday. You will usually try to finalise work before the holidays or rearrange your priorities so that less important issues can be dealt with when things return to normal.

Also it’s not recommended to attempt hard sales or pushy tactics to close business deals as you’re more likely to annoy and offend your business colleagues rather than make any positive progress. Imagine dealing with a hard core coffee drinker before they’ve had their first cup for the day?

Are non-Muslims excluded from sharing Ramadan?

Muslims don’t expect their non-Muslim colleagues to fast with them, although it is polite not to eat, drink or smoke in front of Muslims when they’re fasting. In the UAE and a few other Muslim countries, Ramadan tents are a common feature and can be used to host iftar feasts for colleagues and customers.

While Muslims abstain from food and drink during daylight hours, sunset presents a great opportunity to network, discuss business, build relationships and at the same time share in the Muslim festivities. You may find that some of your Muslim business colleagues retreat from the social scene during Ramadan, but some will set aside a few evenings to enjoy food and entertainment with friends, family and business contacts.

Providing an intimate and relaxing setting for breaking the fast, Ramadan tents are actual tents which are temporarily erected and decorated in a wonderful array of colourful fabrics and sober lighting. Often they will feature music and entertainment, so can be a nice way to spend an evening and experience the local culture.

You’ll often find Muslims are very happy and in high spirits after sunset; relieved that they’ve successfully managed to get through another day of fasting!

Do all Muslims visit Ramadan tents and Iftar events?

The simple answer is no. Strictly speaking, Ramadan is a time of enhanced worship and devotion. Some Muslims prefer to use all available time to offer extra prayers at home or in the mosque and spend quality time with family and close friends. Muslims also often set themselves a target to read all 114 chapters of the holy Qur’an during the 30 days of Ramadan. So any refusal of your invitation to share a meal at sunset shouldn’t be taken offensively.

So your business with Muslim colleagues, customers or potential partners needn’t stop during Ramadan, but you will need to adapt working methods and plans. Flexibility will ensure that you maintain good relationships, which in the Muslim world counts for a lot.

Kwintessential Arabia has a wealth of experience in the Muslim and Arab world. We can provide a range of essential business services including Translation, Interpreting, Localization and Cultural Awareness training. Contact us for a no obligation discussion.

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