Men greeting Men - Men usually shake hands with the right hand.  It is common to  hold on to the hand during the whole initial part of the conversation.  If there is a difference in status then the junior man should bow slightly.  In the north of the country, instead of bowing many make a gesture of a clenched fist in front of the chest, derived from presenting spears to their Emir.  It is customary in many parts for the senior person to initiate the greeting,

Women greeting Women – Handshakes are common during initial meetings.  Good friends and family may exchange a kiss on the cheek and a hug in certain parts of the country.

Greetings between Men & Women – In the north of the country which is mostly Muslim, physical contact between the sexes is discouraged, so a northern woman is unlikely to shake a man’s hand and vice-versa.  As a man, it’s best to wait to see if a woman offers her hand before offering yours.  In the south of the country, greetings are much the same as between men. 

NOTE: Throughout the country greetings are very important and can be lengthy affairs.   It is expected that you should inquire after the other person’s health, studies/work, family, and so on.  A quick “hello” and then moving on to business is regarded as very rude.  Many of the greetings have been translated literally from local languages and can sound a bit odd: “How was the night?”, “How body?”, “How enjoyment?” for example.  “Well done” is used liberally, without the sarcastic overtones it would usually have in some countries.  For example, if you start talking to someone who is working you could start the conversation with “Well done! How work?”