Study of Limiting Factors for Medium and Small Businesses in Russia in Working with Partners from the Middle East from 2022

Annotation. Since 2022, there have been significant changes in international trade, especially for Russian companies. Russian enterprises had to look for new suppliers, as some former partners stopped cooperating with Russia. As a result, many companies have found it difficult to establish long-term relationships with Middle Eastern firms. In order to reduce risks and increase the effectiveness of cooperation between companies from Russia and the Middle East, it is important to study the factors preventing such interaction. This study examined the causes and factors that influence the success of cooperation between Russian and Middle Eastern businesses. The uniqueness of the study lies in the fact that it focuses on the difficulties faced by small and medium-sized enterprises in Russia when working with Middle Eastern partners. To do this, a survey and high-quality interviews were conducted with experts with many years of experience in the field of international trade. As a result of the study, recommendations on methods for reducing risks associated with the identified factors were proposed, compiled into a strategy for building long-term effective business relationships with partners from the Middle East for medium and small Russian companies.