Alinux, as it turns out, the issue was not as much a pride issue as a marketing issue. Japanese people talking to Japanese people did a lot better than Westerners (not just Americans) talking to Japanese people. Ironically, a foothold in the Japan market helped open China and other countries in the region without forcing us to open new branches and hire new staff. Just one of those things.
That said, I would love to see a company or an industry that was entirely, or mostly, comprised of Gulf employees and Gulf management. I would like the opportunity to market our company in such an environment given the cultural differences. As it stands now, most of the local nationals with marketable work experience got said experience working and studying in the West. So it's almost like marketing in the US or in Europe. I would love to see Qataris and Emiratis and Saudis really reclaim their culture and stop trying to be so Western all the time!
Alinux, as it turns out, the issue was not as much a pride issue as a marketing issue. Japanese people talking to Japanese people did a lot better than Westerners (not just Americans) talking to Japanese people. Ironically, a foothold in the Japan market helped open China and other countries in the region without forcing us to open new branches and hire new staff. Just one of those things.
That said, I would love to see a company or an industry that was entirely, or mostly, comprised of Gulf employees and Gulf management. I would like the opportunity to market our company in such an environment given the cultural differences. As it stands now, most of the local nationals with marketable work experience got said experience working and studying in the West. So it's almost like marketing in the US or in Europe. I would love to see Qataris and Emiratis and Saudis really reclaim their culture and stop trying to be so Western all the time!