Etiquette

Visitors should master appropriate greetings and partings, as well as basic phrases of etiquette such as "thank you" and "you're welcome." When people interact with one another, the personal space between people of the same gender tends to be quite small, while the space between people of opposite genders is more distant. People will often invite one another to meals, and it is considered polite to accept the invitation. When a meal is not part of the visit, guests will usually be offered tea and/or coffee, and some hosts will also serve desserts, sweets, or fruit. It is polite to eat and drink whatever is offered unless one needs to decline for health reasons. Smoking is allowed almost everywhere, and people will smoke freely in both social and business settings unless specifically asked not to. During Ramadan, it is not only impolite but illegal to eat, drink, or smoke in public between sunrise and sunset.