São Paulo – The Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC)’s female committee “WAHI – Women Who Inspire” will take a Brazilian all-women trade mission to Saudi Arabia in May. The group is making the trip to connect Brazilian and Saudi women and allow each side to learn the reality of women’s empowerment and leadership of the other. Registration is open.
The agenda will be guided by immersion, training, and networking, with a focus on women’s empowerment. The program includes seminars, meetings with stakeholders, events with local female committees and private and government institutions, cultural tours, and a visit to Saudi Food, a food and beverage industry show that will be taking place in the Arab country concurrently to the mission. Industry-focused activities will also be held according to the business profile of the participants.
WAHI Committee chairwoman Alessandra Frisso believes the mission will build bridges of understanding and cooperation between businesswomen. “For us at WAHI, this isn’t just a mission, it’s a special journey. The initiative shows not only the economic relevance of women in Brazil and Saudi Arabia but also opens doors for shared growth and collaboration guided by a pioneering spirit which is the essence of our committee,” Frisso told ANBA.
The WAHI aims to take on the delegation female leaders – women entrepreneurs and executives – who are interested in expanding their knowledge on the Gulf region and its market opportunities. These include C-level executives such as presidents, CEOs and directors.
Read more on WAHI:
Saudi Arabia was chosen for the mission because it emerges as a major hub in the Middle East. Besides being the largest economy in the region and the world’s largest oil producer, Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s largest financial reserves through its sovereign fund and is implementing strategic program Vision 2030, which aims to achieve the goal of economic growth and diversification.
The Arab country is engaged in the world agenda, including technologic innovation and sustainability, the women’s issue, and sports. Saudis have made significant advances in putting women in the labor market, host a Formula 1 GP, raised visibility to its football league, will host the FIFA World Cup 2034 and the world exhibition Expo 2030, is part of G20 and hosted its summit in 2020, in addition to building high-end projects like a carbon-free city.
“We still face many myths and misunderstandings, but I believe that ‘difficult’ just means something we don’t know yet. By fostering the encounter between Brazilian and Saudi women, we’re paving the way to share knowledge and experience, develop strategic partnerships, and have stimulating discussions on entrepreneurship and other topics,” Frisso told ANBA.
The program of the WAHI mission will be between May 18 and 25 in the cities of Riyadh, the capital, and Jeddah, the second largest in Saudi Arabia. Registration runs until April 17. Fluent English is required.
WAHI Committee
The female committee was set up by the ABCC in July 2020. The initiative aims to make Arab and Brazilian women meet each other, trade experiences in their areas of expertise and even do business among themselves, and that this interchange serves as an inspiration for them to start business, make achievements, and innovate further. WAHI is Arabic for “inspiration” and stands for Women’s Achievements High Inspiration.
Since its establishment, the committee has held various activities, including the exchange of experience with other Brazilian and Arab women’s groups, online and in-person events focused on the female presence in the business world, participation in humanitarian and solidarity campaigns, and the collaboration and protagonism in various actions of the ABCC. The group is led by chairwoman Alessandra Friso and directors Claudia Yazigi Haddad and Silvia Antibas, who are also board members of the ABCC.
Quick facts:
WAHI Mission – Saudi Arabia
For C-level women entrepreneurs and executives
May 18 to 25, 2024
Find out more on the mission
Find out more on WAHI
Registration open until April 17 here
Contact at wahi@ccab.org.br or +55 (11) 99834 6902
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
