How to Prepare for a Meeting in Saudi Arabia — the 15 Minutes That Decide the Room
The companies winning in the Gulf aren't better at sales — they have better information. How to build a Gulf intelligence system before your next meeting.
Why Western Business Strategies Fail in Saudi Arabia (And What to Do Instead)
Many leaders arrive in Riyadh backed by formidable global expertise and proven success in markets like New York or Singapore. However, the Riyadh market does not respond to "off-the-shelf" models.
How Saudia Airlines Turned 1.5kg of Baggage Into the Smartest Marketing Campaign of 2026
A full breakdown of why 'Let It Fly' works, what most Western brands keep getting wrong about Saudi marketing, and three things any Western brand could take from this campaign before their next Riyadh meeting
The Resilience Shift: Nearly Twenty Years in the Middle East and What It Taught Me About Connection, Culture and Becoming
People often talk about the Middle East as if it is one thing. One place. One story. It is not. It is many countries, many cultures, many languages and many ways of being. Gulf cities that feel like the future. Old neighbourhoods where time slows down. Desert that makes you quiet inside. Mountains that make you feel small in the best possible way. Sea that makes you want to stay an extra day.
AlUla: Why This Place Matters More to Saudi Arabia’s Future Than You Think
AlUla is not a resort. It is not a side project. It is not another flashy giga-project headline that disappears when oil prices shift. AlUla is a deliberate, long-term, multi-billion-dollar statement about what Saudi Arabia intends to become — and if you are doing business in the Kingdom right now, or planning to, you need to understand what is happening there and why it matters to you.
The Saudi Trilogy Part 3: Why Some Foreigners Thrive in Saudi Arabia — and Others Never Quite Do
Business in Saudi Arabia needs trust and alignment. Some are able to achieve it easily, some will never bee successful... and it's hard to understand why for Westerners.
The Saudi Trilogy Part 2: Why Saudi Arabia Tests People Before It Trusts Them
Silence in Saudi Arabia is not empty space. It is diagnostic space. Most Western business cultures rely on explicit evaluation but, Saudi Arabia tests people quietly.
The Saudi Trilogy Part 1: Why Diriyah Is the Place You Must Know About
Diriyah reveals how Saudi Arabia thinks. If you misunderstand it, you will misunderstand the country — its priorities, its power structures, and the kind of partners it actually wants.
Common Misconceptions Westerners Have About Saudi Arabia
Western professionals rarely fail in Saudi Arabia because they are disrespectful. They fail because they arrive with assumptions that feel harmless.
Aseer: The Saudi You Do Not Expect — Mountains, Villages, Honey, Baboons & the Quiet Magic of the South
Aseer is not just a destination — it is a revelation. Step into Aseer — and suddenly the entire mental map of the Arabian Peninsula rearranges itself.