What is considered rude in the UAE and the Gulf?

Pointing the sole of your shoe or foot at someone, or passing food and objects with the left hand, is considered impolite in the UAE and much of the Gulf. Accept coffee and hospitality graciously, and use the right hand for greetings and eating.

Protocol

Etiquette around the world: what's polite where

Q: Is tipping rude in Japan?

Often, yes. In Japan, good service is considered part of the price, and leaving cash on the table can cause confusion or mild embarrassment. Excellent service is the standard, not something you pay extra for.

Q: Why is punctuality so important in Germany?

In Germany and much of Northern Europe, being on time is a sign of respect and reliability. Arriving late to a meeting without notice reads as carelessness with other people's time; aim to be a few minutes early.

A gesture that's warm at home can be an insult abroad. Here's a traveller's and businessperson's field guide to manners that matter — greetings, dining, gifts and the small graces that open doors.

From The Diplomat's Handbook · a guide to conduct anywhere in the world

Etiquette isn't fussiness — it's fluency. Getting the small things right tells the people around you that you took the trouble to learn their customs, and that quiet signal opens more doors than any amount of confidence. Here are some of the customs most worth knowing before you travel or do business.

Japan

Tipping can offend. Fine service is built into the price; cash left behind causes confusion.
Receive with two hands. Business cards and gifts are given and taken with both hands and a small bow — and you study a card before putting it away.
Shoes off indoors, and never stand chopsticks upright in rice (it echoes a funeral rite).

The UAE & the Gulf

Mind the feet. Showing the sole of your shoe or pointing your foot at someone is rude.
The right hand is used for greeting, giving and eating; the left is considered unclean for these.
Accept hospitality graciously. Refusing offered coffee or dates outright can seem cold — take a little, even if you don't finish.

France

Greet first, always. A "Bonjour" before you ask anything — of a shopkeeper, a waiter, a stranger — is non-negotiable; skipping it reads as brusque.
Meals are unhurried. Keep both hands (not elbows) visible on the table, and let the host lead the pace.

India

"Namaste" with palms together is a gracious, universally welcome greeting.
Remove shoes before entering homes and places of worship, and dress modestly at temples.
Eat and pass with the right hand.

Thailand

Never touch someone's head — it's regarded as the most sacred part of the body — and don't point your feet at people or images of the Buddha.
Return a "wai" (palms together, slight bow) when it's offered to you.

Germany & Northern Europe

Be punctual. On time means a few minutes early; lateness reads as disrespect for others' time.
Directness is courtesy, not rudeness — plain speech is trusted more than diplomatic vagueness.

The universal graces

Wherever you are, three things travel: greet before you ask, watch what your hosts do and follow, and accept hospitality warmly even when you can't finish it. Get those right and you'll be forgiven almost any smaller slip.

Etiquette for every country, in your pocket

The Diplomat's Handbook includes Protocol — a country-by-country guide to greetings, customs and manners for nearly every nation on earth, alongside daily lessons in tact and diplomacy. First journey free.

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Common questions

Is tipping rude in Japan?

Often, yes — good service is part of the price, and leaving cash can cause confusion. Excellent service is simply the standard.

What's considered rude in the UAE and the Gulf?

Pointing the sole of your shoe at someone, or using the left hand to give or eat. Use the right hand, and accept hospitality graciously.

Why is punctuality so important in Germany?

Being on time signals respect and reliability; unannounced lateness reads as careless with others' time. Aim to arrive a few minutes early.