The course, which is presently delivered by the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies on behalf of the ANU College of Business and Economics,  provides an overview of business in the Middle East and an examination of specific issues for companies doing business in the region. The course focuses most on the Arab countries of the Middle East, but with some attention paid to Turkey, Israel and Iran as well. Specific topics include the Middle Eastern business environment, the cultural specifics of the region that impact on business, the legal framework,  and specific strategies in international and cross-cultural marketing, human resource management, labour relations, logistics, and finance.  Strategies for dealing with the public sector in the region also are covered, given the role of bureaucracies and state -owned enterprises in the region.  The aim of the course is to enhance students' understanding of the Middle Eastern business environment and the ways in which various dynamics impact on business operations of firms in the region.

Students with no background on the Middle East should acquaint themselves with the basic history, culture and politics of the region. Suggested texts are parts of one or more of the following introductory books: Peter Mansfield, A History of the Middle East (Penguin, various editions); Beverley Milton-Edwards, Contemporary Politics in the Middle East (Polity, 2nd Edn, 2006); Charles Tripp, Islam and the Moral Economy (Cambridge University Press, 2006). Students with no background in business studies should acquaint themselves with basic business concepts and terminology.