The news is full of accounts of people who have fallen foul of the law when working overseas.

Although for many readers, these stories can provide a little online interest to mull over during a coffee break, for others, they are a stark reminder of the tragic repercussions that can happen when travelling with no understanding of local laws and culture.

A common misconception people have of cultural awareness is that it’s about “the other”; that its main focus is learning about other people and how they do and don’t do things.

Although this is certainly part of it, cultural awareness also relies heavily on self-awareness.

Google Search Engine data provides a fantastic window into the cultures of different countries by giving us an insight into online searches.

By understanding what people within that country or culture are searching for, we can start to appreciate the topics and concerns that bind them together.

The global nature of commerce means today's businesses are always looking for opportunities outside of their domestic markets.

Acquiring, or merging with, a foreign company is a common way to achieve this.

Visiting Thailand? Then make sure your travels coincide with the three-day Thai new year celebration, known as ‘Songkran’.

Having travelled extensively across South East Asia, Songkran, was by far, the most beautiful festival that I had the fortune to take part in.

Did you know that the UAE has some of the strictest laws governing social media?

Despite its reputation as a global commerce and tourism hotspot, the Arab state has strict laws which on occasion take foreigners by surprise.

The 1st of May will mark the start of a new era in Japanese history.

Emporer Akihito is making way for his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, in Japan’s first imperial abdication in over 200 years.

Saudi Arabia is on a mission.

Their ambitious 2030 Vision seeks to create an economy for the future based around trade and tourism.

Travelling to Italy for work or business?

Want to make a good impression?

 Doing business or working in Japan can be tough for foreigners.

The cultural differences can be vast and it takes a while to get used to how the Japanese like to do things.

Providing an abundance of new experiences, relationships and opportunities, relocation can be an incredibly exciting opportunity for most relocating expats.

However, relocation is not all fun and excitement.

With it being called 'cultural awareness training', 'cultural competence training' or 'cross-cultural training', anyone would think that these types of training courses are all about culture.

Well, you wouldn't be wrong.

In the face to face training world, establishing measurable objectives is typically considered key to the development of any training course.

However, this process is often overlooked in the development of online courses.

A survey by the UAE’s security magazine, 999, has shown that most expatriates visiting the UAE are doing so while blind to UAE cultural customs and traditions.

Seven out of ten of the 2,000 expatriates included in the survey claimed to not understand local Emirati culture and traditions.

We spend most of our time here working on serious cultural stuff, such as, how to negotiate successfully with the Americans, or, how to give good service to American customers.

Every so often however, we feel that need to go off at a tangent and indulge in some of the quirkier aspects of culture!

Many people doing business with Saudi Arabia are usually surprised to find that the date in Saudi Arabia is over 500 years behind that of dates in the West.

Why is the date different in Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia has become an almost permanent fixture in Western news.

With the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the continued carnage in Yemen which threatens to spiral into the worst global famine this generation, the spotlight placed on Saudi Arabia has been almost completely negative.

Love for the royal family is deeply ingrained in Thai culture.

You can’t help but see pictures of the recently deceased King and his newly appointed son wherever you go in Thailand.

If you’re off to Thailand for business or moving there as an expat, then we have compiled some essential cultural facts to give you an insight into Thai culture before you go.

By understanding the culture, you are best placed to get the most out of your time in Thailand and to make it a memorable experience for all the right reasons.

The training world is evolving at an incredible pace.

Indeed, discussions of blended learning by L&D professionals have quickly moved beyond ‘why do we need it?’ to ‘how do we do it?’