Western Sahara

Zachary Weimer

Western Sahara is a non-selfgoverning territory, it does not

have a capital. However, the
largest city is El Aain

Western Sahara has two

primary languages Arabic,
and Spanish.

Their main religion is Muslim, they

have mosque for Friday worship
around mid day.

Western Sahara Travel Tourism

Stretching along the northwestern
coast of the African continent, this
former Spanish colony remains a
disputed territory and is one of the
most sparsely populated regions on
Earth.

Sahara Mountains between

the Atlas mountains and
the Red Sea.

Pan fried fish &

Senegalese chicken
yassa, a tangy spicy dish.

Stereotypes

Being called sand people for living

in the desert environment where
rainfall is rare.
The males are very sexist towards
women, especially Lebanese women.

Superstitions

Could not find 1 superstition, sorry.

Hand gestures for ok

and yes

Business culture

Business attire is formal and conservative.

Men should wear dark colored conservative

business suits to the initial meeting.

Women should wear elegant business suits, dresses

or pantsuits.

Women must be careful to cover themselves

appropriately. Skirts and dresses should cover the
knee and sleeves should cover most of the arm.
Appointments are necessary and should be made
as far in advance as possible and confirmed a day
or two before the meeting.

Relationship building

Moroccans prefer to do business with

those they know and respect,
therefore expect to spend time
cultivating a personal relationship
before business is conducted.

Expect to be served mint tea

whenever you meet someone, as this
demonstrates hospitality.

Communication styles

Since Moroccans judge people on

appearances, dress and present
yourself well.
Moroccans are non-confrontational.
They may agree in meetings rather
than cause you to lose face.
Decisions are made slowly. Do not try
to rush the process, as it would be
interpreted as an insult.

Power in decision
making

Companies are hierarchical. The

highest ranking person makes
decisions, but only after obtaining a
group consensus.
Decisions are reached after great
deliberation.
Moroccans are looking for long-term
business relationships.

Body language

Classical Arabic and Spanish are

their fluent languages, eye contact,
and speaking up are important
factors of communication in the
Western Sahara.
Similar to the U.S eye contact is a
way of making sure someone is
listening to what you are saying.

Communication styles

They greet each other they take their

time and converse about their
families, friends, and other general
topics.
Handshakes are the customary
greeting between individuals of the
same sex.
Handshakes are used in both
cultures.

Power structures

Western Sahara has a authoritarian

power structure, One ruler or a
small group of leaders have the real
power.
May hold elections and they may
have contact with their citizens, but
citizens do not have any voice in how
they are ruled.

Internet penetration rate

The internet penetration rate for

Western Sahara is at 15.3 (June
2012) although this number
represents anyone who has used the
internet within the past year.

Individualism vs.
Collectivism

Scoring a 46 Western Sahara is a

collectivism society, they foster a
strong relationship where everyone
takes responsibility for fellow
members of their group.

Power distance

This dimension deals with the fact

that all individuals in societies are
not equal, at a score of 70 Western
Sahara is a hierarchical society
where centralization is popular.

Uncertainty avoidance
With a score of 68 on this dimension
and thus has a very high preference
for avoiding uncertainty.

Individualism vs.
Collectivism

Western Sahara is considered a

collectivistic society. Loyalty is
traded for care, and comfort.
More broadly, it is the idea that
people should prioritize the good of
society over the welfare of the
individual.

Masculinity vs.
Femininity

A score of 53 indicates that the

society will be driven by
competition,, achievement and
success. Unlike a low score which
values in focusing on caring for
others.

Power distance

Power distance for Western Sahara

is 70 compared to the United States
which is 40.
Unlike Western Sahara the U.S is not
a hierarchical society, you do not just
play one role your whole life, you
can always improve.
(Life is what you make it)

Uncertainty avoidance

Western Sahara scored a 68 while

the U.S scored a 48. This shows
more people in the united States are
not afraid to confront a problem or
conflict.
Not as strict emotional rules

Masculinity vs.
Femininity

Western Sahara scored a 53 while

the United States scored a 62.
Indicates that U.S society will be
driven by competition for
employment.
Rather than focusing on others and
quality of life.

Current event

Against the backdrop of North Korea and the conflicts

in Afghanistan, Syria, and the Palestinian territories, it
is understandable that within the United States, the
Western Sahara is largely forgotten. As the United

States should have learned from Somalia,

Afghanistan, Libya, Timor Leste, and Syria,
state failure is hard to reverse. The key is to
prevent collapse in the first place. As the only
stable state in the region, it behooves the
United States to support Morocco and work
through it to rebuild the economies of the
region, and train forces to restore stability to
countries

cite

"Time for U.S. to Focus on Western

Sahara."Global Public Square RSS.
N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.
Central Intelligence Agency. Central
Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web. 19
Mar. 2015.