Country Briefings: Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia
Marvin Labre
Sarah Garstecki
Kalle Stenbaek
Trenton Norton

Table of Contents

Economic Environment………………………………………………………………………....3 Azerbaijan…………………………………………………………………………….....3 Saudi Arabia………………………………………………………………………….....5
Political and Regulatory Environment...………………………………………………………..6 Azerbaijan………………………………………………………………………………6 Saudi Arabia………………………………………………………………………….....6
Cultural and Societal Framework………………………………………………………………7 Azerbaijan………………………………………………………………………………7 Saudi Arabia………………………………………………………………………….....9
Technological Environment…………………………………………………………………....10 Azerbaijan………………………………………………………………………………10 Saudi Arabia…………………………………………………………………………....10
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………...10
References………………………………………………………………………………………12

Economic Environment
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan is a developing country that is heavily dependent on the exportation of gas and oil for its economic status. Other forms of sustainable economic consistency are from non-export organizations such as construction, banking, and real estate (CIA: World Factbook). Even in times of various economic trends, the country maintains its middle-class economy through the increase/decrease of the prices of their main resources. It’s from the positively consistent results that the government permits pervasive corruption and structural economic inefficiencies from these local companies to pose as an obstacle to their long-term growth. In other words, the economy of Azerbaijan is, for the most part, influenced by the local oil and gas companies due to their close connections to the government officials. That being said, it’s not uncommon for the government to expropriate, or seize control of, the international competitors who pose as a threat or a competitor to their industry. It is ranked by Transparency International as the 38th most corrupted country (139 out of 176). One of the commonly recognized forms of corruption in this region is pervasive corruption, or bribery of public officials (CIA: World Factbook). With this in mind, it is difficult for multinational companies to establish a foreign trade/investment relationship with the dominant local companies influencing the government’s decisions.

In terms of economic opportunities, Azerbaijan has a variety of opportunities to choose from. With an abundant resources for gas and oil, this country is slowly establishing new energy transit lines to the countries that are part of the European Union to establish foreign relations(EU) (Coface: Major Macro Economic Indicators). Evidential results are displayed through the sea trade routes they’ve established with Turkey (CIA: World Factbook). On the other hand, Azerbaijan could further enhance their economic progress if it wasn’t lagged due it’s “needs for stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector and the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region” (CIA: World Factbook). In further detail, the conflict between the Armenians and the Azeris have existed since the 1920’s when the USSR gave the territory to Azerbaijan with the majority of the residents identified as Armenians. Since then, the territorial dispute between the two countries after their freedom from the Soviet’s control remained existent. Azerbaijan in particular needs this territory since it forms approximately 30% of its territory (Academia.edu). With this in mind, the country could potentially lose some of the sites for gas and oil production.

As mentioned before, Azerbaijan is currently in a comfortable economic status based on its primary energy resources. If one were to establish a multinational or international relations with Azerbaijan, the overall financial analysis would provide a tolerable rating. It’s gross domestic product (GDP), or the measure of the nation’s economic activity, gives them a global ranking of 75th for purchasing power parity of 102.7 billion U.S. dollars. This value indicates the adjustments necessary for the U.S., which has the top purchase power parity, to make in order to be in equivalent economic power (CIA: World Factbook). That being said, Azerbaijan’s currency, in Azerbaijani New Manat, is overvalued in comparison to the U.S.’s dollar value. As a matter of fact, one Azerbaijani New Manat is equivalent to 1.27486 U.S. dollars (XE Live Exchange Rates). Asides from purchasing power parity, Azerbaijan is globally ranked 10th for gross national savings of 41% (CIA: World Factbook). This means that the country was able to maintain over a third of its income even after all the resource consumptions and all deductions.
Another factor to consider is the tax rate which accumulated up to 36.3% of the GDP (CIA World Factbook). This includes personal and corporate income taxes, tariffs, and social contributions. Unfortunately, Azerbaijan is still on the process of establishing foreign relations; therefore, is not ready to eliminate tariffs to officially be recognized in the EU. On the other hand, this may provide the U.S. a chance to reach out to the country and other neighboring nations to expand the trade routes for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Inflation, too, is a factor to consider for any U.S. company planning to expand their foreign market. This indicates the the rise in value of the products as they rise up to 2.4% in 2013 (CIA World Factbook). Although they’re ranked 91 out of the 223 countries that underwent inflation, it’s still above the average which indicates a good start for any successful businesses in this territory.

With all the factors considered, the overall process of starting a business in this country is fairly basic. To start a business in Azerbaijan, there are a total of three procedures that takes a total of seven days to complete. The first step is to obtain an electronic signature for online registration. This process takes three days to complete. The next three days are used to complete online registration, obtain TIN number, and register for VAT. On the last day, the only task required is to obtain a company seal. With the provided information in comparison to the average business development processes in Europe and Central Asia, one can clearly see that it doesn’t take much to start a business in Azerbaijan (World Bank Group). Although the process appears to be easy to establish, one still needs to be aware of the pervasively corrupt government and the risks they pose.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is a developing country with an oil-based, mixed economy with a lot of focus on international trade (Emba). Saudi Arabia has a GDP of $927.8 billion and is ranked 20 in country comparison. The kingdom is very wealthy and is ranked 7th in gross national saving. this indicates that the kingdom properly would have the means for a potential investment in sustainable energy. Saudi Arabia is also the 10th-largest trading partner with the US, importing machinery, medical equipment and automobiles (USTR). Saudi Arabia has a relatively free economy with an inflation rate of 3.7%. Which is relatively fair for a developing country, however the Saudi Riyal maintains a steady rate to the USD (CIA Factbook). The government in Saudi Arabia has decided to try and become less dependent on oil for electricity production by implementing a plan to install more solar power plants by 2032 (ArabNews). Currently, the country is 100% dependent on crude oil for electricity. For our company, this could be an opportunity to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s changing methods. At the same time, it could be challenging to change such a long lasting trend. The ease of doing business rank in Saudi Arabia is 26, which is a positive ranking (DB). In the figure is the market share for installed solar capacity, as we look at the chart we can see that Middle East and Africa currently have a low capacity but are projected to increase.

Political and Regulatory Environment
Azerbaijan
Similar to the United States’ government, Azerbaijan is a republic with a president as the leader of the state, and a constitution comprising many of the key pillars that make up the government. However, recently the president and the government have been accused of authoritarian acts, such as forcibly evicting residents from their homes and throwing any and all activists in jail. To add to this, there appears to be a large amount of corruption in the public sector of the economy. These actions have caused the country to be ranked 127 out of 177 countries in the 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index. On the other end of the scale however, Azerbaijan ranks relatively high in the Global Competitiveness rankings, coming in at number 38 of 144 countries (WEForum.org). Lastly, the country has a separation of power between the executive, legislative, and branches like other democracies and republics, with elections held every five years for public offices. Azerbaijan is also a member of NATO, and holds a Non-aligned status.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is governed by a monarchy and Shari’ah law. According to DoingBusiness.org, it is ranked very well in terms of getting electricity, paying taxes, registering property and obtaining construction permits. It ranks significantly lower in enforcing contracts and resolving conflict. This could lead us to believe that it is very important in Saudi Arabia to know people in order to lead a more successful business implementation. This could potentially conflict with the FCPA because bribes are very common and being from the US, it would be illegal for our company to pay any type of bribe . The government of Saudi Arabia is ranked 63/177 on the Corruption Perception Index, so it is not one of the worst countries, but is still somewhat corrupt. The Saudi royalty and the managers of large oil companies tend to hold much more of the kingdom’s power and wealth, which displays one area of the corruption. However, Saudi Arabia still ranks very high on the global competitiveness scale at 18/142(Transparency.org). Because of the Shari’ah law, interest is not allowed to be charged, however companies find ways around this rule that still force companies to pay some form of compensation.

Cultural and Societal Framework
Azerbaijan
In Azerbaijan, there are a variety of factors to consider if one were to effectively compete in their industries. These factors include the nation’s demographics, ethnicity, religious views and living standards. To make these topics applicable to the work environment requires thorough analysis of the dominant cultural practices and the adjustments that our business needs to establish to guarantee labor productivity as well as a comfortable work environment for the employees.
One of the first factors to research on is the country’s demographics, which shows that Azerbaijan is at a steady pace. This is seen through the population growth rate and it’s comparison to other countries. Currently, the dominant age group for this nation is between 25- 54, making 45.1% of the Azerbaijan’s human population (Political Risk Yearbook). The next up is the within the ages 0-14, which composes 22.7% of the population (Political Risk Yearbook). These percentages, along with the other age groups, average to a population growth rate of 0.99%, and ranks them 121st in the world (Political Risk Yearbook). With these statistics in mind, a solar production company can see these populations as marketing opportunities. In detail, the growth pace is not at a threatening rate (too fast or too slow), and the dominant age groups are in the range of both educational learning and active employment. Altogether, the information exposes that the common populations that the company will focus on is up-to-date with the new ecological sustainability approach that the governments impose through educational institutions and working environments.
Another factor to consider is their ethnicity and religious practices. In terms of social mobility, it is important to note that ethnic and racial divisions still exist. In particular, the recurring themes are Azeris vs. Armenians and Christians vs. Muslims. Additionally it’s important to keep in mind that the dominant ethnic group is Azerbaijani or “Azeri,” which composes 90.6% of the population (Kwintessential.co). The Azeris’ official language is also known as Azeri. Religious practices from this culture derive from Islamic beliefs. Basically the cultural practices, language, and religion of the nation are influenced by this particular ethnic group. With this in mind, any business processes for Azerbaijan should be practiced in Azeri’s standards with the knowledge of Islamic practices. In addition, any foreign business should also welcome Christianity as it’s the other commonly practiced religion; however, to exercise and openly accepted work environment will require extra caution in decision-making situations.
Living standards, too, play a factor for the business to establish relations with the foreign society. Studies in 2011 show that 53.6% of the total population is primarily urbanized, although there are still signs of urbanization (Political Risk Yearbook). That being said, any foreign businesses with the intent of establishing relations with Azerbaijan will keep awareness for any local customs from ruralized areas that are different from the common urbanized practices.
With the given information, it is safe for one to say that these demographics and cultural norms are fairly different from the U.S. Additional information that are pertinent are identified through Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. One of these dimensions measures the individuality of the residents in the nation. This country has shown consistency in a collectivistic attitude since the start of Azeri’s history. In the modern era, family units are smaller but still operate interdependently. The expectations for each family member are to satisfy each other financially and emotionally (Kwintessential.co).
In terms of the next dimension, or power distance, Azerbaijan shows a high level of power distance through their communication and privileges in society. For example, the Azeris prefer a certain routine or standard that emphasizes on the person’s status and role. The highest position practically sets the pace and the lead with everyone else in hierarchal order (Kwintessential.co).
Time orientation, too, is one of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. Due to some of the recent efforts in promoting ecological sustainability through educational institutions and work environments, the country shows signs of a long-term orientation where adjustments are a necessity for preparation of the future (Kwintessential.co). This means that the country may value it’s traditions, but is willing to adjust to various modern trends and innovations.
Another dimension deals with the level of uncertainty avoidance. If one were to analyze this through a standardized Azerbaijani business meeting, it would be safe for that individual to assume that it is in the higher levels of uncertainty index. To confirm this notion, one can see this through the organizational culture of a business meeting in Azerbaijan. For instance, every arranged meeting in Azerbaijan requires an introductory letter that gives a brief outline of the company’s history and purpose in Azeri language. Once there’s confirmation, the executives of the foreign company must follow the Azeris standard of communication; that is, one should use effective communication through body and eye language such as constant eye contact, a patient and virtuous appearance, and openness to emotional and irrelevant topics. All of these standards show the challenges that the company needs to do to provide comfort to the Azerbaijani community.
The last dimension associates with the cultural competency of the environment, which classifies as masculine-based or feminine-based. Although the country demonstrates some preferences for cooperation and modesty due to its collectivistic values, the businesses still apply an aggressive nature for achievement, power, and materialism through the corruptive acts in local businesses and governments. Although gender equality is in legally confirmed (Republic of Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs), the Azeri society are still fairly traditional with the woman in charge of home duties and the males in charge of monetary supply for the family (Kwintessential.co). With that in mind, any communications in regards to gender employment will be openly accepted but exercised with caution.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia consists of a 90% Arab population and 10% Afro-Asian/other. There is very high social disparity between men and women and between the rich and poor, and the unemployment level is extremely high, especially for younger people. 80% of the labor force is non-national workers; this could indicate a large talent pool of expatriates which could be positive for us since it creates opportunities to maintain international business standards and employ highly skilled workers(CIA Factbook). In addition, the human development ranking is high which means people are well-educated throughout the country so we would be able to find qualified local employees as well(Transparency.org).
Due to the Muslim culture, prayer time is very important to the Saudis, and work days revolve around these 5 daily prayers. Time orientation also depends on these times, for example, an appointment may be made in regards to one prayer hour instead of an hour of the day. Arabian culture is extremely high power distance, so managers of companies are expected to delegate specific tasks. There is also a high uncertainty avoidance which is why it is important to know people and/or be part of an important family to receive a good job. This uncertainty avoidance can be good as workers tends to follow rules, be punctual and effective when working. But it can also create frictions with our way of doing business as creativity and responsibility is taken away from the individual worker. Saudi Arabia has a very collectivistic culture, our company will need goals that highlight needs of the group instead of individual achievement. Women in Saudi Arabia do not have as much power as men; they are allowed to work, vote, etc. but may not drive cars or go places alone. Bargaining is a big part of Saudi culture, so if we want to do business there we will have to expect flexible pricing(Hofstede).

Technological Environment
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan is an economy largely supported by their large reserves of oil and natural gas. From the dissolution of the Soviet Union and creation of a newly independent country came more productivity in the technological environment. An example of this is the BakuTel, which is an annual telecommunications event that started in 1995 and continues to this day, showing off local companies and advancements in the IT sector which happen to be the second largest industry in Azerbaijan, behind the energy sector (ITU News). These advances in the IT sector become reflected in the number of internet users in the country, which according to the World Bank stands at 58.7% of the population. Much of the growth technologically in the country has come within the 21st century, with Azerbaijan launching their first satellite, called Azerspace-1, only last year on February 7, 2013 (Orbital). This 21st century growth can be attributed to further energy sector growth. An area that still needs further development is the area of infrastructure, namely roads. It’s position between both Black and Caspian seas and also Russia and Iran make it an important country that needs to be further developed which could help turn it into a transit economy, further lowering the poverty rate which is at 7.6% (World Bank) and diversify the country’s economy.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is a fairly technologically advanced country, thanks to the large oil industry and foreign trade which has increased living standards. Approximately ⅓ of the population uses the internet(CIA Factbook). The most important current advancement in technology is the infrastructure, due to the needs of large oil companies. They require well-maintained roads to access their oil ports and for transportation of oil. This is an advantage for us in that we would be able to utilize the already established roadway system. There are many seaports along the two coasts of Saudi Arabia which could be very useful in regards to transportation and importing materials. One of the challenges to this would be the potential for piracy along the eastern coast of Africa, should we decide to arrive in Saudi Arabia from that direction(ArabNews).

Conclusion
Both of these countries pose a variety of opportunities and threats for any business to enter into the Middle East market; however, based on the thorough analysis of Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia, one would be safe to assume that the decisions would be based on the personality of the business; that is, the company approaches with the mindset of an opportunist or a rationalist. As a solar energy production company, it is our duty to compare the countries’ invitation to the ecological sustainability and the long-term benefits that will result from these choices.

Last year, Saudi Arabia began the process of finding investors and businesses for a project over $100 billion to create solar power plants throughout the country, effectively making entering the market a challenge. It is also said that regulatory support is still lax, bringing bidding on the projects to a standstill as of now. As of right now, the Azerbaijani government has talked about implementing a similar project, but has yet to come to fruition. In addition to this, Azerbaijan shows to promote a freer business environment to help promote further investment and growth in the country. This is shown through the World Bank’s Ease of Starting a Business index, which ranks Azerbaijan at 10th compared to Saudi Arabia’s 84th, and also has a higher score from The Heritage Foundation with each getting 73.5 and 67.3, respectively. The policies behind these rankings mean that entering Azerbaijan will be relatively easy, compared to Saudi Arabia.

Another factor to consider is the opportunities that both countries pose. In a mindset for long-term benefits, Azerbaijan is recently the ideal business environment to exploit. It is already acknowledged that the government has considered to promote ecologically sustainable markets to expand their markets as well as enhance their living environment. With that in mind, both the government officials in Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources develop environmental policies to confirm their eco-friendly ambitions (CIA: World Factbook). Their initial steps to an ecologically sustainable approach provides an opportunity for our solar production company to establish a foreign relationship that will enhance the U.S.’s relationship with the country. Due to the fact that the U.S. has an effective relationship with Saudi Arabia, expansion of foreign relations to a country that recently follows the globalization trend will be an overall long-term success.

References
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