Arabic truths

Dr Karim-Elmahi Ismail is president of the Institute for Marketing in the Middle East (Institut für Marketing im Nahen Osten) in Düsseldorf (www.ifno.de). Ismail, who has a doctorate from the University of Cologne, previously worked for the embassy of the state of Qatar in Bonn. He currently advises German companies on the development and implementation of marketing and distribution strategies in the Near and Middle East. He also leads intercultural training sessions and workshops for European companies doing business in the Islamic world. Contact: institute@ifno.de

“Some countries, for example Dubai, are highly influenced by Europe,” says Dr Karim-Elmahi Ismail. But some types of behaviour are common to most Arab countries. Using Ismail's practical advice for people travelling in the Arabic world as a basis, we've created a quiz to test your knowledge.