Morocco

Greetings

Man greeting Man - Men shake hands when greeting one another and usually kiss once on each cheek. Handshakes tend to be on the loose side.

Woman greeting Woman- Women usually greet each other with kisses on the cheek. This can range from one to five (alternating cheeks) depending on the situation and relationship.

Man greeting Woman- A simple handshake or hand grasp while simultaneously kissing both cheeks is common. It is best to allow the woman to extend her hand or offer her cheek first. If the hand is not extended, than a slight bow or nod is the polite thing for men to do.

Note: It is taboo for religiously observant men to touch women and vice-versa.

Communication Style

• Moroccans are very careful and indirect in their communication style. Any direct confrontation with a Moroccan could cause a loss of face and hence shame for their family, thereby potentially dooming your future relationship.
• It is considered better to express a criticism through a colleague or friend, rather than face to face. Also, a Moroccan may say one thing in public to avoid awkwardness or shame, but sing a different tune when no longer in the public spotlight.
• A Moroccan adage reminds one to “Praise your friend in public but reprimand him in private.”

Personal Space & Touch

• An arm’s length of space, or just a bit more, is a good distance to keep between acquaintances, colleagues and casual friends.
• When interacting with close friends and family, this distance can diminish.
• When chatting with Moroccan men, it is best for women to keep a little extra space between them and the man.
• There is a fair amount of touching that goes on during conversations. Especially between people of the same gender.
• Note: It is taboo for religiously observant men to touch women and vice-versa.

Eye Contact

• Direct eye contact is acceptable however it can depend on one’s place in the social hierarchy (standing can often be told by the quality of clothes, shoes and fluency in French).
• Educated and upper-class Moroccans have no problems looking others in the eye. However, the lower one goes on the social ladder, the less likely eye contact and direct communication becomes.
• Those who perform the lowest of jobs, such as janitor or maid, often avoid eye contact and exhibit almost an aura of servility.

Gestures

• Using your right hand, touch all four fingers to your thumb. This is a very common gesture in Morocco, meaning either “a little, slowly” or “how are you doing?”
• Pointing an index finger at your temple and turning it about means you are witty or smart. Careful, because pointing your index finger at your forehead means someone is crazy or stupid.
• A thumb held under your chin means a lot or something is full
• Two index fingers held next to each other means that things are equal (kif-kif).
• Pulling down the lower eyelid with an index finger means hshuma (shame).
• A hand to the heart means thank you/ nice to meet you/ peace be with you

Views of Time

• Punctuality is not usually a virtue in Morocco, although some things do function on a strict time table, such as public schools.
• Time works differently in Morocco; as long as one does not expect punctuality to be high the list of enviable qualities for a Moroccan and can learn to go with the flow of things, traveling is lots less stressful.
• Trains are more or less on time while buses usually have no posted times nor routes, so it is necessary to ask the bus driver or local riders where and when the bus comes.
• When inviting people over, never expect them to arrive on time. It's best for example to invite people over at 9pm for dinner, fully expecting people to arrive after 10pm.

Gender Roles

• In general, the world of men consists of the whole outside world, while that of women consists of the world inside the home. Cafes are in the male domain and are an intersection between private life and the public life found in the street.
• Women are expected to cook and clean and raise the children. In big cities they enjoy much more freedom in dress, behavior and activities; however, it is still not common to find a woman out alone or in sidewalk cafes.
• It is unacceptable for a woman to be in bar that serves alcohol, otherwise she is likely to be seen as a prostitute. Because Islam forbids alcohol, most bars have a seedy and unwholesome atmosphere.
• As a general rule of thumb, foreigners can get away with drinking and café sitting, however, be sure to carefully select the bar or café.

• Men will often try to pick-up girls along the street. Do not react in any way or they will not leave you alone. In Morocco, it must be the boy who makes the advances, otherwise the girl is seen as easy. The girls is expected to be so lovely and magnetic that the boy comes to her without any prompting.

Taboos

• Eating or drinking in public during Ramadan is extremely rude.
• Wearing revealing clothing may not be obscene in and of itself but it may provoke some obscene reactions.
• Never eat communal food with your left hand, as this is used for personal hygiene. The right hand is used for greeting and eating.

Law & Order

• Drinking is forbidden in Muslim cultures.
• Fines and prison time can be the result of possession of illegal drugs and while bribing may get you out of the prison sentence, a hefty fine is guaranteed.
• As for laws that are not enforced, traffic lights, using turn signals, wearing seat belts, restaurant sanitation standards and speed limits are not strictly, if at all, enforced.

Dress

• Businesspeople tend to dress well, opting for the latest styles.
• For Men - Formal suits and ties. Darker colors are the way to go.
• For Women - Conservative yet stylish is a good choice. Avoid wearing overly expensive accessories, dresses/skirts cut above the knee, and sleeveless attire.

Titles & Business Cards

• There is no formal protocol surround the giving and receiving of business cards.
• It is best to use the titles Mr., Mrs., and Miss, until you are on a first name basis.

Meetings

• Arriving on time for meetings is important even though you may be kept waiting.
• Beginning with small talk helps establish a base for the relationship, after which discussion of business matters can begin. It is best to allow your host to begin the business discussion. Appropriate small talk topics include: family, sports, coffee.
• Avoid talking and asking about politics, drugs, sex, and religion.
• Interruption and interrupting someone is common practice.
• Meetings can go on for longer than scheduled. Be patient and go with the flow.

Negotiations

• Morocco is a hierarchical society. Decisions come from the top down, even though there ample room for listening to the groups opinion and deliberating.
• Avoid hard selling and any sort of conflict or confrontation.
• Saving face is important to Moroccans and they respond much better to the soft sell with indirect communications.

Gift Giving

• Gifts are not usually brought to a first business meeting.
• If invited to a Moroccan home, it is appropriate to bring fruit, pastries and/or flowers. Avoid bringing alcohol.
• Make sure that gifts are nicely wrapped and do not expect them to be opened right away.
• Gifts are usually opened in private.

In the Classroom

• University classes may or may not start on time, depending on the professor. Sometimes the professors may not show-up for class.
• University classes usually start towards the end of September/beginning of October and run until June. This is however subject to change depending on when Ramadan falls.
• University students dress similar to American students, ranging from preppy to punk. However, students rarely wear sweats or sportswear to school.
• In general girls are always very well put together (being sloppy could shame your family) and the boys are generally clean cut. About half of the girls will choose to wear a veil while the rest choose not to cover their heads.
• At the university levels, grades follow the French system, which is based on 0-20, with 20 being perfect and nearly impossible to achieve. The average is around 12.
• Teachers mostly lecture in class. Students take notes verbatim on what the professor says and then regurgitate these notes for the exam.

Other Observations

• Most everywhere you park (except in parking garages); there will be a "guardian" that must be paid a few dirham when you leave.

• Almost nobody wears seatbelts and they are often broken in taxis, so don't try to put them on, or you may get stuck.