Successful conduct of business in Saudi Arabia requires attitudes and skills significantly different from those needed in the United States. Distinct societal differences can turn winning practices in one culture into failures in another. Despite Saudi Arabia's recent emergence as a wealthy marketplace, traditional values and a unique lifestyle persist. Many families have Bedouin origins, and much of the population displays the nomadic Bedouin ethos in matters concerning hospitality, respect for elders, attitudes toward time, and conversational distance and eye contact. Distinctions between acceptable and unacceptable tasks are much more pronounced than in U.S. society. These distinctions concern equality in such matters as office size and location and material possessions, and kinship (friendship, and behavior in private versus public life). In contrast to concise American business meetings, Saudi business transactions are prefaced by protracted "small talk" on unrelated topics. Certain mannerisms and taboos must also be adhered to. Authority is not likely to be delegated, and most decisions are made at the highest levels. Management practices favor a traditional approach, and organizations generally have a patriarchal structure. The organization is usually subordinated to the individual. Planning is fatalistic rather than futuristic, with staffing and leadership practices that contrast with American styles. (MSE)