Handshaikh Ltd's clients and comments

For a list of Handshaikh Ltd's clients, click here.

• "Excellent! A must for newcomers to the area." TY, VT Shipbuilding International. "A very useful insight into cross-cultural relations". CF, Chevron. "A must if you are trading in the Gulf". JW CIMA. "It takes many years of experience to make such a complex subject simple and understandable" MJ, Landbanski. "Be informed; act with confidence" NS TDG. "I was very impressed" F al-S, Iraqia. "A great overview. Half a day perhaps a bit too short" AM, RBC Dexia. "Thorough and useful" NW MEA. "A great insight into a world of which I was previously ignorant" NN
  MEA seminar London 10 June 2008
• "Confirmed many of the experiences we've had in Dubai/Kuwait. Enjoyed the language tips and etiquette." PA
  "Insight into breaking the 'formal' barrier - how to get beyond introductions and establish relationships." MF
  "[Explained] the Middle East confusion. Excellent presentation, very useful, and an eye-opener." JP
  "Overall very interesting and useful." GA
  [Explained] history of Islam, the extent of the Muslim world, and the extent of cultural issues." JA
  "[Interested in] etiquette, customs and tradition. Very informative. Clearly significant 'in depth' knowledge of the region. Overall, very impressive. Good presentation style and very well organised material." PD
  [Interested] in attitudes to work, all things [done] at once, individuals more important than [the] company." NG
  [Noted] the social etiquette for business - particularly for women in the Middle East and [the need for] understanding of the culture/religion [and] business approach. More on [what is] expected and how to act as a woman needed." CW
  [Enjoyed] the stories told, anecdotes, personal experiences. Very good and practical training session. Very well presented. I felt I learned a lot." JB
  RTKL-UK, London, May 08
   
• "Excellent presentation for multiple levels of knowledge" L McC.
  "Tremendous! More please!" JS.
  "All very interesting, particularly [the] religious aspects" AW.
  "Excellent range of topics from [the] general to the specific. [I was] particularly interested in 'correct behaviour', both generally and in a business context - as well as the importance of 'wasta'. A really enjoyable session; would highly recommend." MF.
  "Broad range of topics covered. The religious lineage explained in [an] interesting way. Good practical advice. Fabulous presentation; good condensation of years of experience." JH.
  "Very informative; good fun!" C E-P.
  "A well put across seminar with practical examples based on real experience. [Treated] what had the the potential to be a weighty subject with [a] great sense of humour." KR.
  "Very good assessment/understanding of culture and the impact of relationships. [Liked] the business relationships and protocols." AP.
  "[Liked] the general coverage and the range of subjects. Excellent range of knowledge. Excellent presentation and content." SW.
  "[Enjoyed] the scope and diversity. Excellent!" GR.
  TDG Chemicals,  Manchester, May 08
   
• Enormously helpful afternoon. I've been working with Gulf Arabs for two years and am only now realising how much easier I could have made it for myself (and them) by being aware of a few basic points" HM Prima (UK) Ltd.
  "The knowledge that [he had] on Islamic culture and Arab culture was amazing. Some of the cultural aspects of the Arabs were really an eye-opener for me and [will] certainly help me do my job better." SZM, UKTI.
  "Well informed generally and an interesting session" Dr L al-I, A-BCC.
  "Excellent. Good tips on behaviour and use of common sense. The video clips were very useful as well as the geography. Coming from an Arabic origin I was laughing at the "typical" characters and behaviour, hard to believe that what's so natural to us could be so alien to the western culture!" FS, DTCM Dubai.
  "The session was an excellent refresher in the fundamentals of differing cultures - more importantly, [he explained] the key issues of which to be vigilant" TM. Black Country Cham of Com, UKTI
  "Broad spectrum of topics from 'big picture' to detailed useful tips. This is potentially a cultural minefield; I feel much better prepared now" RA, UKTI DSO.
  "[Most interesting was] getting into the Arab culture, people and business processes. Understanding the essentials - avoiding common mistakes. Entertaining and thorough. Presence of Arabs [in the audience] gave [an] edge and appreciation of what is important. 'Lifts the lid' on a huge amount of [ ] knowledge and wisdom. Hints at so much more" DG, Nucleus.
  "I was most interested in the general guide to presenting oneself in the Middle East. In particular it was helpful to have the Arab point of view explained. Very useful and extremely well-presented. An excellent introduction and guide to pitfalls."  WM, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
  "[Most interested in the] cultural differences of doing business with the Arab world. More time needed!" HC, Freshfields Bruchaus Deringer. "[Most interested in] everything from the handshakes (I have made mistakes!) to the coffee and hospitality. Thanks for the insights". DH-H, Prima (UK) Ltd.
  "Thank you for a most enjoyable [afternoon].  I think that your personal approach and humour as you describe life in the Middle East is just great, and it always held the interest of the audience, otherwise with so many slides to go through it might have become boring.  Time did pass so quickly so it proved that you have a successful format"  DD, Sheehan Medical/GMC Ventures ME.
  Open seminar at the Cavalry & Guards Club, May 08
   
• I was learning so much that the time [during my personal briefing] just flew by. HCB Borealis, Brussels Mar 08
   
• [Most interested in] X-cultural aspects of working in the Middle East [and] dress, especially for women. Very interesting seminar, led by engaging & knowledgeable speakers. CN Nottingham University. MEA London Feb 08
   

• Thoroughly enjoyed the [cruise ship] lectures - will now read the book.  Hope to see you around and will certainly broadcast how effective and entertaining your lectures are. TK, Sharm al-Sheikh My daughter and I enjoyed your engaging lectures onboard the ship LB, Aqaba Jan 08
   

• Very competent and entertaining speaker MB, Very lively presentation KM, It is a must for all people being in touch with Middle East people HB, Very interesting presentation and attractive. So different from our culture FD, A very interesting overview; for me it was absolutely perfect UK, Everything was very interesting. It will help me in the future with my clients SB, Very good presentation, very interesting, Bravo! MP, Best 'savoir vive' course ever attended! Brilliant! AH, Good speaker, lively course. VZ, Very interesting and productive SK, Good speaker, excellent knowledge of the Arab world CN, Comprehensive 'Do's and Don'ts list KN, Breaks & pauses in the right places, good teaching blocks PR, Very interesting, captivating AH, [Enjoyed] the short language lesson PN, Very lively, very complete, very interesting, do not change a thing; very good Macro-to-Micro view SO, Very excellent speaker with deep knowledge of [the] Arab world NV, UBS Geneva Dec 07
   

• Thanks for another very interesting and successful briefing [on Saudi Arabia and Bahrain] . I spoke to most of the attendees and the reaction was, once again, extremely positive. BA, UK Trade & Investments Yorkshire & Humber, Leeds Nov 07

• "....I thank you again for your wonderful presentation at the UBS ABN Annual Conference yesterday. I am not just saying this but the feedback I received for your talk was excellent. Your presentation was the most interesting, informative and fun of the day according to many I spoke with. I am only sorry that we only had one hour for the session. IK. "He - literally - wrote the book on this subject" IK, UBS London Oct 07
   
• "Thank you very much for two great sessions, shame that we didn't invite you earlier. The feedback I got from each and everybody couldn't have been better. My colleague from Geneva would like you to [do two days in] Geneva." MF. UBS Zurich Sep 07
   
• Just wanted to give you a quick feedback on your seminar again. Only now I am realizing how helpful your seminar was. I'm already taking a complete different approach to the clients, and it works!!! Things are so much easier, even on the phone. Just sticking to your [rules of thumb] makes a conversation much smoother and I am sure that will make us more successful in the future. GB. UBS Zurich Sep 07
   
• Great session! [on Dubai] I was most interested in the rules to follow to avoid being rude, and on how to negotiate CN. Very well presented; good mix of facts, story telling, videos & anecdotes. RS [Enjoyed] the business behaviour examples, [learning] Arab-West cultural clashes and the anatomy of UAE society RI. RTKL-UK, London

• This was the best cross-cultural presentation I have ever heard [on Saudi Arabia]" BA, UK Trade & Investments Yorkshire & Humber, Leeds
   
• “He didn't make a single mistake on Islam and he explained it better than our Imam at our mosque." Mohd A, Leeds, Apr 07.
   
• "Anecdotes about Westerners & Arabs imitated like Peter Ustinov" JC. CFEL,
   
• "Very well put together; a lot of ground covered." Kemdent, "Much food for thought". LH. Very useful insight gained". XL Nord Anglia. "Excellent, enjoyable and informative" GE, Churchill China. (MEA event London.)
   
• "The presentation was well received, as always. AL Head of HR, ....I've heard some very good feedback about your lecture today" GB Ansbacher Bank, London, Mar 07
   
• ......a very big 'Thank you' for such an excellent seminar on Thursday. Really appreciated it .LM, Chemical Management Resources Limited, at the MEA London, Mar 07
   
• ".... thank you very much for being with us yesterday. From the feedback I received, the delegates enjoyed your presentations enormously and from our point of view the conference was a great success." CP. East Midlands International Trade Association, Derby, Mar 07
   
• "Thank you for an informative and enjoyable afternoon [at Basingstoke] - it was [helpful to learn how to do] business in the Gulf." RB Business Development Manager Aviation, ESR Technology Ltd, Basingstoke, Feb 07
• "....yesterday's seminar was a complete success. Every one went away extremely pleased both with [the speaker] and the course content [on Saudi Arabia]. [ ] London Ontario, Canada, Feb 07
   
• Thank you for your very interesting and informative presentation ......you did a wonderful job! Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge with us. And of course the sense of humor made the whole session much more exciting. OC. Cartus, Kansas City, Feb 07
   
• "Thank you so much for all your help and advice. Hugely useful."  TW. Gulf Hill and Knowlton LLC, Doha, Jan 07
   
• "Extremely good combination of presentational skills and knowledge; exceeded my expectations; [most valuable were] personal experience of presenter & ability to put into context/framework; super introduction on how to behave with Arabs; I gained considerable knowledge on how to deal with [a] different culture; certainly knows his stuff; thought it was excellent; good anecdotes; make it a 2-day course; very enjoyable; [his] wealth of experience and stories made it both fun and interesting; the examples [helped] explain situations and made it easier to understand; too short; delivered high and low level information in a light-hearted but effective manner; very relevant; lots of knowledge/experience of 'real' constructive information; [most valuable] were learning about religion [and the] difference between 'Arab' v 'Muslim' [as well as] learning about Arab organisation; very good course; [most valuable were] the approach to business and the influence + importance of relationships; add an extra day." Feedback BAe Systems, Frimley, Dec 06
   
• "Trainer's performance [excellent]; all relevant; enjoyed learning Arab 'protocol'; depth of trainer's knowledge huge; videos excellent." GS & RS. Cundall  London Dec 06
   
• "Exceeded my expectations." "Very effective." "Good use of personal experiences." "More directors should attend." "Very good understanding of Saudi culture." "Very good practical, real life experiences; he knows what he is talking about." "Enjoyed the practical examples." "Very relevant." [Most useful was]: Interacting with Arabs on greeting and the way they do things; customs & religion; meeting & greeting"  "I [rate the presenter as] excellent." "Enjoyable and well-delivered." "All aspects valuable [especially] Islam and business culture."  "[Most valuable was] trainer's obvious knowledge and varied experiences." "Too short - would have liked longer." "Very informative and stimulating.” [Would you recommend to colleagues?] yes, yes, yes!" "A really enjoyable day - thank you!" Selex Sensors feedback, Luton, Nov 06
   
• "How did you learn to imitate so well how Arab men negotiate? (SN, lady diplomat from Saudi embassy, London, Nov 06
   
• "I wish I had had your briefing three years ago! I will be recommending [departments] to receive your seminar." LD, Vice President [ ] Borealis, Mechelen, Belgium, Oct 06
   
•  Thank you for the very interesting lecture ....... it was really fun and educative. I've enjoyed it very much. KV, Borealis, Mechelen, Belgium, Sep 06
   
• Thanks a lot for an exciting day "doing the Arabic things"! I can see …that people appreciated your session very much. You were really a good team! Thanks a lot for a super cultural day in Helsinki! OH, Borealis, Helsinki, Finland, Sep 06
   
• Excellent sharing of experience and knowledge; recommend more and senior staff [attend next time]; excellent course, very enjoyable; well organised and presented, very useful course and well worth repeating for executive team; personal experiences of presenter highlighted the course and made it more enjoyable; [he] was able to convey his experience in a very pragmatic manner; lots of useful snippets of information plus considered answers to a wide range of questions; [particularly liked the] personal anecdotes and real life experiences. Amadeus London Heathrow, Sep 06
   
• They [Amadeus] really liked your presentation at Heathrow. SC, Babel Cross Culture. Sep 06
   
• Just a short note to thank you very much for an extremely enjoyable talk at the Middle East Association last week. We look to put on a bespoke seminar of this kind for our firm. SL, Richards Butler LLC, Sep 06
   
• I very much enjoyed your engaging presentation last week - it was quite fascinating and your succinct analysis of complex issues was very skilful. LW, Editor Opportunity Middle East, London Sep 06
   
• The presentation was excellent. Congratulations! (Loved) the anecdotes; brilliant presentation; very useful information. FA,  MEA London Sep 06
   
• All extremely interesting. SG, MEA London Sep 06
   
• I feel I now have a good foundation to do business with Arabs. TL, MEA London Sep 06
   
• Yes of course [I would recommend this presentation to a friend]. C F-M, MEA London, Sep 06 

·         Lovely to see you yesterday. Really interesting and enjoyable way to spend my afternoon.
LN, Risk Advisory Group, MEA London, Sep 06 

• I very much enjoyed your presentation yesterday and our subsequent discussions ...... many thanks for the introduction to Fahad al.......TSW, MEA London, Sep 06
   
• It was great to meet you yesterday and have you as part of our team to pitch to [major Dubai undertaking]. I think it added tremendous credibility and reassurance to our offer. Now we have to wait with fingers, toes etc crossed. Inshallah we will be working together for this client shortly! Thanks again for coming along to join us. LC, Nucleus Ltd. May 06
   
• Many thanks for your most constructive talk at [The Middle East Association] last Tuesday. I ...thoroughly enjoyed all you had to say. VW, The Bahrain Society. Apr 06
   
• "I have had some very positive feedback on your lecture today" OH, Borealis EWC Norway/Sweden/Austria/Finland. Mar 06.
   
• "Really enjoyed today, thank you. The surprise dinner with the Libyans confirmed all that you had said!"  SP, BP Gulf Regional Director. Mar 06
   
• "Thank you for recommending (Handshaikh). He was wonderful" MB, NBC New York 'Street Signs'. Feb 06
   
• We have received excellent feedback. People that didn't attend are already itching to sign up for the next session. BH Ansbacher, Channel Islands EVERYBODY agreed that your presentation was fascinating (which is quite an achievement I can assure you) and fun (especially the afternoon 'audience'!). AS, Ansbacher, Channel Isles
   
• "Very helpful indeed. Can you do a [sixth] briefing for my people who missed the Qatar seminar yesterday?" RS, Chief Executive Ansbacher Bank Ltd, London. Oct 05.
   
• "Thanks for a very good briefing for Ansbacher."  LR, School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS). Oct 05.
   
• "Excellent workshop. It was packed full of practical advice. Presentation was informative, informal, insightful and fun." "Probably the most interesting course/seminar I have been on!" "Packed with useful information delivered in a hugely entertaining way". "[I enjoyed] everything; [it] was excellent." Student feedback SOAS/Ansbacher Oct 05
   
• "I couldn’t let the occasion pass without dropping you a line to say how much I appreciated the briefing that you gave to us last Friday. Not only did I find it extremely useful, I must also congratulate you on the delivery – quite one of the most enjoyable and informative few hours I have spent in recent months. So much of the material you imparted was only too familiar but one now feels better able to cope in the knowledge that chaos is the norm and that frustrations are not a personal thing but something one must learn to live with".  RB, Ansbacher Bank Ltd, Head of Wealth. Oct 05

• "Having heard your briefing, I've made a note of about ten things that I am now going to have to really re-think in terms of how I go about my time in Dubai as the company's Gulf Regional Director. Thank you so much for alerting me to how business in done in the Gulf"  DW, BASF France. Oct 05.
   
• "Very positive feedback, thank you once again". CW, Communicaid. Oct 05

• ".. to say thank you very much indeed for your informative and amusing session on life in the Gulf."  AW, Simmons & Simmons, New York.Oct 05.
   
• "I was amazed at your understanding of our way of life"  Fahad al-Attiya, contributor from Qatar. Oct 05.

• "Thank you so much for your absolutely top class presentation yesterday. Our audience found your talk hugely enjoyable and really informative.  Also thank you for your very useful contributions to our later discussions about market conditions in the Gulf area.  The feedback from all the delegates, and our Management Council, who met yesterday, was excellent."  PH, International Business Group Manager Construction Equipment Association Peterborough. Sep 05.

• "Knowledgeable; extremely interesting presentation, would have enjoyed longer; very practical advice, very informative, liked the sense of humour, very good; enjoyed learning a few Arabic words; obviously very passionate about the subject. People that didn't attend are already itching to sign up for the next session." "Everybody that your presentation was fascinating which is quite an achievement I can assure you and fun (especially the afternoon 'audience') Several people have even started reading your book already and are appearing to enjoy both the style and the content." AL, Ansbacher Channel Islands. Sep 05

• "Thank you for a very useful two days for our managers and for our staff going to Ruwais  UAE".LH, Borealis, Lyngby, Denmark. Jun 05

• "........thanks for an absorbing and invaluable seminar yesterday (on Yemen).  It was pitched at exactly the right level for us all."  PC, Head of HR Total Aberdeen. May 05

•  "..... to say a very big thank you very much for a most informative, enlightening and enjoyable day with you at Total, (and for) the meeting in London (the next day where) we made many contacts. We are now looking forward to going to Yemen. R & M H. Apr 05

• "Just a brief note to thank you for your presentation earlier in the week.  I am sorry that my colleagues were not present to reap the benefit of your experience as your work deserved a wider audience and we need more of our people to understand better the exigencies of working in the Gulf." JL. Inspirational Development Group.

• "Many thanks for presenting two very successful 2-day  courses. Some of your audience have just made a special trip to my office to say how much they appreciated your efforts."  DW, Airwork Ltd, Muscat & Thumrait. Oman.

• "Thank you for chairing our session on the UAE and for the cross-cultural brief which certainly opened our eyes!"  MG. London Chamber of Commerce.

• "... just to say how well your presentation was received ..." CP, Dunn & Bradstreet, European Credit Forum, Dubai.

·         "... thank you for an excellent briefing today .. an insightful day ... [We] both thoroughly enjoyed the day and came away with a much greater understanding of the cultural differences which I am sure will be invaluable to us both. Every prospective expat. should do this!"    E & AL., Kellogg, London/Dubai

• "...wanted to thank you for your very enlightening and entertaining insight into life in the Gulf. Everyone found it fascinating and it certainly opened a few minds as to what it is going to be for [us] over the coming months, not to mention what the requirements are going to be from [Head Office]! We also appreciated the list of useful contacts ..." CB, Bywater plc, Reading, UK.

• " I write to thank you for the excellent work that you did in running our Cultural Awareness Day last week ... I was delighted in the way that the day, as it unfolded, clearly addressed some key issues which have already been taken up by some staff in the Faculty. Even the development of a clear understanding of the differences between the conventions governing first and given names in the UK compared with the name structure in Islam, will go a long way to remove some of the difficulties that have been encountered - even at an administrative level. There were at least two other clear signs of success in the day. One, the clearly appreciative remarks from members of staff not well known for their enthusiasm in these ideas, and also the way in which staff stayed on to engage in discussion with you and your colleagues and to look at the supporting material that you brought. .... let me say once again how appreciative we are of the most valuable contribution that you have made to a key aspect of our staff development ... we will be returning to make use of the knowledge and skills of you and your colleagues for further staff development activities."  Dr DA, Dean Faculty of Technology, University of Portsmouth.

• Thank you for an excellent talk on 'Negotiating with Gulf Arabs' given to  the Sales and Marketing Special Interest Group of the British Business Group in Dubai. We all enjoyed what you said and learned a lot.  I particularly liked the way you encouraged the Dubai Arabs in the audience to join in!"  TW.  BBG Dubai.

·         "I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and [xxx] personally for the informative and entertaining seminar you provided on Friday. Working together, I think we turned a 'sketchy' idea on improving Arab cultural awareness into an excellent one-day programme. This was only bettered by the quality of information and depth of experience demonstrated by you both. I would recommend your services to any company with an interest in the region and would be more than willing to act as a reference for you in the future should you need it. I am sure we will meet again   ...  once again thank you for everything." KR, RS Components, Corby.

• "Just a brief note to thank you for your presentation earlier in the week.  I am sorry that my colleagues were not present to reap the benefit of your experience as your work deserved a wider audience and we need more of our people to understand better the exigencies of working in the Gulf." JL. Inspirational Development Group.

• "Many thanks for presenting two very successful 2-day  courses. Some of your audience have just made a special trip to my office to say how much they appreciated your efforts."  DW, Airwork Ltd, Muscat & Thumrait. Oman.

• "Thank you for chairing our session on the UAE and for the cross-cultural brief which certainly opened our eyes!"  MG. London Chamber of Commerce.

• "... just to say how well your presentation was received ..." CP, Dunn & Bradstreet, European Credit Forum, Dubai.

• "... thank you for an excellent briefing today .. an insightful day ... [We] both thoroughly enjoyed the day and came away with a much greater understanding of the cultural differences which I am sure will be invaluable to us both. Every prospective expat. should do this!"    E & AL., Kellogg, London/Dubai

• "...wanted to thank you for your very enlightening and entertaining insight into life in the Gulf. Everyone found it fascinating and it certainly opened a few minds as to what it is going to be for [us] over the coming months, not to mention what the requirements are going to be from [Head Office]! We also appreciated the list of useful contacts ..." CB,  Bywater plc, Reading, UK.

• " I write to thank you for the excellent work that you did in running our Cultural Awareness Day last week ... I was delighted in the way that the day, as it unfolded, clearly addressed some key issues which have already been taken up by some staff in the Faculty. Even the development of a clear understanding of the differences between the conventions governing first and given names in the UK compared with the name structure in Islam, will go a long way to remove some of the difficulties that have been encountered - even at an administrative level. There were at least two other clear signs of success in the day. One, the clearly appreciative remarks from members of staff not well known for their enthusiasm in these ideas, and also the way in which staff stayed on to engage in discussion with you and your colleagues and to look at the supporting material that you brought. .... let me say once again how appreciative we are of the most valuable contribution that you have made to a key aspect of our staff development ... we will be returning to make use of the knowledge and skills of you and your colleagues for further staff development activities."  Dr DA, Dean Faculty of Technology, University of Portsmouth.

• Thank you for an excellent talk on 'Negotiating with Gulf Arabs' given to  the Sales and Marketing Special Interest Group of the British Business Group in Dubai. We all enjoyed what you said and learned a lot.  I  particularly liked the way you encouraged  the Dubai Arabs in the audience to join in!"  TW.  BBG Dubai.

• "I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and [xxx]  personally for the informative and entertaining seminar you provided on Friday. Working together, I think we turned a 'sketchy' idea on improving Arab cultural awareness into an excellent one-day programme. This was only bettered by the quality of information and depth of experience demonstrated by you both. I would recommend your services to any company with an interest in the region and would be more than willing to act as a reference for you in the future should you need it. I am sure we will meet again   ...  once again thank you for everything." KR, RS Components, Corby.

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