Greeting

Emirati greetings usually involve genuinely warm welcomes including handshakes, embraces and generous praise. More conservative greetings between men and women are still widely practised, so when in doubt, just smile. 

Emiratis greet each other according to the protocol that derives from the religious and cultural makeup of the Arab world. Long, genuinely warm greetings with handshakes, embraces and generous praise can be expected for male-to-male and female-to-female greetings. Physical interaction between men and women is more conservative.

Male visitors should not take the initiative to shake hands with an Emirati woman; she will make it clear if she expects a handshake. Likewise, some Arab men may not wish to shake hands with women. Of course, a smile is universally accepted.