CEO of the Misr Helwan Engineering Company, Cairo:
Good Morning Mr. Fastbuck, I am Mohammed El Adewy and this is Engin
eer Ahmed El Din Nossier our engineering Director. I trust you had a pleasant flight and welcome to Cairo.
Good Morning Mr. Fastbuck, I am Mohammed El Adewy and this is Engin
eer Ahmed El Din Nossier our engineering Director. I trust you had a pleasant flight and welcome to Cairo.Brad Fastbuck – Purchasing Director – United Widgets Co.:
Hi Mohammed / Ahmed. Yes I’m Brad Fastbuck. I had a great trip thank you and it’s really great to be here in Cairo. Now I have an objective for this meeting to secure agreement with you to a delivery date for our order by July 27th. How do you feel about that?
Eng. El Adewy
Would you like some tea?
Hi Mohammed / Ahmed. Yes I’m Brad Fastbuck. I had a great trip thank you and it’s really great to be here in Cairo. Now I have an objective for this meeting to secure agreement with you to a delivery date for our order by July 27th. How do you feel about that?
Eng. El Adewy
Would you like some tea?
Brad:
Sure that would be nice, Thanks Mohammed – Now about that date?
Sure that would be nice, Thanks Mohammed – Now about that date?
Eng El Adewy:
Do you take sugar?
Do you take sugar?
Brad:
Yes – one spoonful please – Do you think this date is reasonable?
A stranger enters the room and sits down
Yes – one spoonful please – Do you think this date is reasonable?
A stranger enters the room and sits down
Eng. El Adewy
Ah Uncle Hassan. Mr. Fastbuck, may I introduce you to my Uncle. Mr Hassan Ibin El Goggary
Ah Uncle Hassan. Mr. Fastbuck, may I introduce you to my Uncle. Mr Hassan Ibin El Goggary
El Gogary:
Nice to meet you Mr. Fastbuck. Where in USA are you from?
Nice to meet you Mr. Fastbuck. Where in USA are you from?
Brad:
From Conneticut.
From Conneticut.
El Gogary: 
Ah – I was 10 years in America myself. A wonderful country. I am a graduate from the University of Massechusetts
Ah – I was 10 years in America myself. A wonderful country. I am a graduate from the University of Massechusetts
Brad:
That’s really great – I hope you liked our country – It’s really great to be in Cairo and I’m looking forward to a great working relationship with you guys. I’m just here really to expedite the order that we placed with you. I wonder ...
That’s really great – I hope you liked our country – It’s really great to be in Cairo and I’m looking forward to a great working relationship with you guys. I’m just here really to expedite the order that we placed with you. I wonder ...
El Adewy holds up his hand:
Excuse me for a moment Mr. Fastbuck
A conversation ensues for a few minutes in Arabic betwe
en El Adewy and El Gogary with some input from El Nossier. There are some silences and some laughter. Brad sits in silence.
Excuse me for a moment Mr. Fastbuck
A conversation ensues for a few minutes in Arabic betwe
en El Adewy and El Gogary with some input from El Nossier. There are some silences and some laughter. Brad sits in silence.Two more people enter the room and sit down and join the conversation in Arabic. Eventually El Adewy turns to Brad.
El Adewy
Now Mr. Fastbuck – How can I help you.
Now Mr. Fastbuck – How can I help you.
Brad:
Call me Brad please, Mohammed – My goal from this meeting is to secure your absolute commitment to these delivery dates. It is very important.
Call me Brad please, Mohammed – My goal from this meeting is to secure your absolute commitment to these delivery dates. It is very important.
El Adewy:
Everything is possible Mr. Fastbuck – Don’t worry. Engineer El Nossier here is very organised and he can arrange everything – Insha Allah.
Everything is possible Mr. Fastbuck – Don’t worry. Engineer El Nossier here is very organised and he can arrange everything – Insha Allah.
Brad:
Yes – but we need an absolute written assurance and we would like to discuss penalty clauses for failure to deliver on time – It really is very important to us.
Yes – but we need an absolute written assurance and we would like to discuss penalty clauses for failure to deliver on time – It really is very important to us.
El Adewy:I understand you completely – Eh. Would you like more tea?
Other people enter the room and El Adewy stops to sign some papers – The uncle gets up and shakes hands with Brad – He kisses El Adewy and leaves the room. The others who have entered the room are sitting around. One is reading the newspaper and another is chatting to El Nossier.
Brad:
So can we agree on these dates Mohammed.
So can we agree on these dates Mohammed.
El Adewy:
We can arrange everything – Of course Ramadan is coming...
We can arrange everything – Of course Ramadan is coming...
Brad:
Look Mohammad – I really need concrete assurances. The bottom line is that we will invoke the penalty clauses if you fail to deliver on these dates. We are not kidding about this.
Look Mohammad – I really need concrete assurances. The bottom line is that we will invoke the penalty clauses if you fail to deliver on these dates. We are not kidding about this.
El Adewy smiles:
Perhaps you would like to visit the factory – I have arranged for Engineer El Nossier to give you a tour and then I propose that he bring you back here and that we go for lunch,
Perhaps you would like to visit the factory – I have arranged for Engineer El Nossier to give you a tour and then I propose that he bring you back here and that we go for lunch,
Brad:
But, Mohammed – Are you prepared to sign a document agreeing to these dates?
But, Mohammed – Are you prepared to sign a document agreeing to these dates?
El Adewy
Everything is possible – Don’t worry.
El Adewy stands up – El Nossier stands up and eagerly leads Brad towards the factory.
Everything is possible – Don’t worry.
El Adewy stands up – El Nossier stands up and eagerly leads Brad towards the factory.
After a tortuous tour of a desperately hot factory, Brad finds himself back at the office of Eng. El Nossier, who receives a phone call to say that Mr. El Adewy apologises for not being able to join them for lunch because he has been called away to an urgent meeting. 
Brad goes for lunch with El Nossier and he has a tour of Cairo sampling the Egyptian way of life
- He never gets his agreement.
Surprisingly, the goods arrive. They are a little su
b-standard, and a little late, but by and large, the deal works well for the Americans. The working relationship eventually develops into one of trust and Brad learns to relax a little. The Egyptians end up reluctantly giving in to his fixation about deadlines (most of the time).
Brad goes for lunch with El Nossier and he has a tour of Cairo sampling the Egyptian way of life
- He never gets his agreement.
Surprisingly, the goods arrive. They are a little su
b-standard, and a little late, but by and large, the deal works well for the Americans. The working relationship eventually develops into one of trust and Brad learns to relax a little. The Egyptians end up reluctantly giving in to his fixation about deadlines (most of the time). 