Palestine has a typical Mediterranean climate – hot and dry in the summer, pleasant in spring and autumn and wet but mild in the winter with average temperatures ranging from 26-30°C in the summer and 9-18°C in the winter.

Arabic is the official language spoken, however most Palestinians are multilingual. English is widely used in business, government and education with French, German, Italian, Spanish and Hebrew commonly used as well.

Palestine, one of the oldest civilizations on earth, is a country whose history has been full of turmoil and change. The majority of the Palestinian people live in the Diaspora because of the continued occupation that they have endured over the past 60 years. The total worldwide Palestinian population is nearing 10 million, with more than 4 million in the Diaspora. In Palestine itself including East Jerusalem, the population reached almost 3.8 million by the end of 2007 (2.4 million in the West Bank and 1.4 million in the Gaza Strip).¹ 

There are three practiced religions in the Holy Land of Palestine: Islam, Christianity and Judaism. The city of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, is a main pilgrim site for all Christians worldwide and Jerusalem remains the world’s principal religious destination for the Muslim, Christian and Jewish faithful.

Palestine has several natural resources, including fertile land, groundwater, good quality stone and marble and of course the salts and minerals extracted from the Dead Sea.

Even though Palestine does not have its own national currency, the Jordanian Dinar and the Israeli Shekel are the major currencies used.  Deposits and withdrawals of foreign currencies are accepted in banks and the US Dollar is becoming the most popular currency used. All major credit cards and travellers cheques are accepted in Palestine.

As an economy, Palestine is market-based with the private sector leading the way. Gross domestic product (GDP) is US$ 6.641 billion (including Gaza Strip) (2008 est.)²  Services, Tourism, Agriculture, ICT, Retail and Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical, Finance, Housing, Infrastructure and Construction are the primary sources of income to businesses in Palestine.

Foreign investment in Palestine is being encouraged in spite of the obstacles and complications caused by the Israeli occupation. There is a huge investment potential as this is an emerging market. An increase in investment means a boost to employment in the private sector, which in turn will generate income and improve people’s standard of living.

As well as being well educated and naturally hospitable people, professional, honest and efficient entrepreneurs make up the Palestinian business community. All Palestinians are willing to go that extra mile to ensure transparency and customer satisfaction.