After a year working with Chinese coworkers in Saudi Arabia, I’m confused in a good way
I’m Saudi, and I’ve been working in a Chinese company environment in Saudi Arabia for around a year now. Honestly, my experience has been the complete opposite of what I expected.
Before joining, I thought it would be extremely strict. I expected a very cold, hyper-professional environment where nobody laughs, nobody talks, and everything feels like military discipline. I also had a lot of ideas in my head from media and stereotypes.
Reality ended up being very different.
The work environment is actually productivity-focused more than fake seriousness focused. People joke around, talk, laugh, and still get work done. I’ve genuinely had a really good experience working with Chinese coworkers.
One thing I noticed socially, at least in my company, is there seem to be two types. A very small percentage are super extroverted and have really advanced humor. They catch jokes instantly and throw them back at you. Then there’s the larger group that are quieter, extremely kind and professional. Sometimes I honestly can’t tell if they fully get the joke or if they’re just being nice and laughing to keep things comfortable.
But work-wise? Extremely reliable. Very efficient. Also surprisingly good teachers. If someone joins a new industry and actually wants to learn fast, I’d seriously tell them to try a Chinese company. People take time to explain things and teach work properly.
Another thing I found interesting: almost everyone takes the 12-2 lunch break very seriously. Eat, sleep in the office, reset, come back. I thought it was strange at first. A year later I’m starting to understand it.
Also, they absolutely love stickers and reaction pictures. Not memes exactly. Feels like they have an entirely different humor ecosystem I still don’t fully understand.
One thing I noticed too is the Saudi weather absolutely destroys some of them. I hear complaints about the heat constantly, and honestly I get it.
The funniest thing is I genuinely expected a completely different experience. Instead I found really kind people. And once they become your friend, they defend you hard and become very loyal.
So now I’m curious:
People who worked in Chinese companies, or Chinese people themselves:
- Did you have similar experiences?
- What things surprised you?
- What habits or cultural things took time to understand?
- What did I completely misunderstand?
Just sharing one Saudi guy’s experience after a year.