Doing Business in Cyprus (UAE Edition)
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DOING BUSINESS C YPRUS<br />
71<br />
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES EDITION<br />
BUSINESS CULTURE<br />
Respect, hospitality and personal trust are the cornerstones of the Cypriot bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />
environment. An island nation with a long history of deal<strong>in</strong>g with foreign traders<br />
and bus<strong>in</strong>esses, Cypriot bus<strong>in</strong>esspeople are <strong>in</strong>ternational <strong>in</strong> their outlook and astute<br />
and knowledgeable <strong>in</strong> their negotiations. Punctuality is expected, bus<strong>in</strong>ess dress is<br />
formal for both men and women, especially at the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g of a bus<strong>in</strong>ess relationship,<br />
and even <strong>in</strong> warm weather. Most Cypriots prefer face-to-face meet<strong>in</strong>gs to telephone<br />
conferences or written communications, which are regarded as too impersonal, and<br />
place great importance on build<strong>in</strong>g personal relationships with bus<strong>in</strong>ess partners or<br />
connections. Trust is the key to successful bus<strong>in</strong>ess deal<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> <strong>Cyprus</strong>.<br />
LANGUAGE<br />
Greek and Turkish are the official languages of <strong>Cyprus</strong>. However, English, the<br />
legacy of the British who ruled <strong>Cyprus</strong> from 1878 to 1960, is widely spoken and is<br />
the language of bus<strong>in</strong>ess. Many Cypriots also speak French, German or Russian.<br />
BUSINESS HOURS<br />
Office hours are generally 8.30am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 5.30pm, Monday to<br />
Friday. Although <strong>in</strong> summer some offices take a longer lunch break or f<strong>in</strong>ish early.<br />
Nicosia
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