This is the Business English Certificate Higher 2, Listening Test 2.

You will hear a consultant giving a talk to a group of UK business people about exporting to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

As you listen, for questions 1 to 12, complete the notes, using up to three words or a number.

After you have listened once, replay the recording.

You now have forty-five seconds to read through the notes.

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Now listen, and complete the notes.

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Man:        Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the fourth in our series of brief country profiles for companies who are thinking of extending their trading activities into new areas. Our chosen country this afternoon is the United Arab Emirates or UAE. Now, in geographical terms it is relatively small but what makes it very significant in commercial terms is its high purchasing power. The two most important cities, from a commercial point of view at least, are Dubai City and Abu Dhabi City, particularly the former. It is important to remember that the UAE has always been a distribution centre through which goods pass to neighbouring countries. Another point is that in recent years the UAE government has made the legal framework much more user-friendly by simplifying commercial law.

               What are they like as people to trade with? What are they looking for from you, the potential exporter? Firstly, UAE customers are very knowledgeable about the latest trends. They’re not interested in last year’s fashions or products. They are only interested in the most up-to-date, high-quality products at a keen price.

               Like everyone else they don’t like unreliability, whether in terms of getting the goods there when you promised them or the performance of the product itself. Above all, however, they insist on your meeting their high expectations regarding after-sales service. And being a small market, geographically speaking, businessmen tend to know each other, so once you do a good job for one customer, then the news travels fast round the UAE and you’ll soon be getting orders from other agencies or whatever, because they’ve heard about you. But be warned - it also works the other way!

               Another point to bear in mind that’s true of nearly all markets, but, believe me, it is particularly true of the UAE: don’t imagine mailshots or emails are going to produce good results. Local businesspeople don’t just prefer a personal visit, they insist on it; it’s the only approach possible.

               Now, how to get started: so what are the various ways of selling goods and services in the UAE? What I would recommend, to make your first contacts, is attending a trade fair - one of the many held in Dubai. Having made your contacts, there are various options open to you. The most popular way to start is with direct sales to local contractors. This method is fine for one-off deals or where you just want to try things out. On the other hand, if you’re thinking of supplying goods or services to a government body then you’ve got to have a local agent. Lastly, there’s the branch office option or the possibility of going into a joint venture with a local partner. It is always an expensive option, and the UAE is no exception in this. In general, I would advise exporters to gain at least five years’ experience in the case of the UAE before opening a branch office there, although of course there could be exceptions to this.

               Now as far as import documentation is concerned...

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Now listen to the recording again.

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That is the end of Part One. You now have twenty seconds to check your answers.

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