São Paulo – Seven years in style. The Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA) had its anniversary lsat month and celebrated it with a record high number of visits: 1,170,000 in September. A project developed by communications agency Meios Agência de Comunicação for the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, the agency has been viewed by over 21 million people since its launch, and won ten journalism awards, some of which were granted by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, the Brazilian Machinery and Equipment Industry Association (Abimaq) and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa).
Ever since the inception of ANBA, in September 2003, visits have followed a surprising upward trend. This year, for instance, from January to September, the agency had 7,451,000 hits. In the same period of 2009, it had 4,547,403 hits. According to Joel dos Santos Guimarães, the editor-in-chief of ANBA, the growth is a result of the quality journalistic content that the agency offers readers and of constant innovation, as in the use of twitter, in which ANBA currently has 267 followers.
Promoter of communication
ANBA was born to promote communication between Brazil and the 22 Arab countries represented by the Arab Brazilian Chamber. It is a bilingual online news agency. The site brings mainly useful information to businessmen and executives who intend to promote business between Brazil and the Arab countries. It points out opportunities in the two regions of the world, provides important tips and shows Brazilian companies that already operate in the Arab world, as well as Arabs who have arrived here in Brazil.
But ANBA is not just about economics and business. The agency also has a keen eye for culture, cultural relations between the two peoples, and for promoting tourism in Brazil and the Arab nations. Special articles present entrepreneurs, characters and habits that are important to the history and culture of the two regions of the world. They also show flavours, colours, landscapes and spices in Brazilian and Arab style.
With this special way of doing focused, attractive journalism, ANBA has been fulfilling its mission of generating new business opportunities, establishing closer cultural relations, and strengthening diplomatic ties between Brazil and the Arab countries. Presently, the ANBA site is a must-read for audiences such as embassy and government officials, sectorial organizations, university students, exporters, businessmen in enterprises of all sizes, and the domestic and foreign press.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
