São Paulo – Cacau Foods do Brasil wants to learn more about the Arab confectionery market. Bendita Mandioca plans on finding a distributor in the region. Fambras Halal certifier aims to show the excellence of halal products from Brazil. Full of expectations, eleven Brazilian companies start on Sunday (31) the activities of a business mission to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Who is taking the companies to these two Arab countries, hosts of major global events, is the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC). In the UAE, world exhibition Expo 2020 is running from this October through next March. Qatar will host FIFA World Cup in November 2022. The mission is innovative in the sense that is not only about business prospecting but about training and information on the Arab markets, too, including networking with those experiencing it, hands-on.
Besides Cacau Foods do Brasil, Bendita Mandioca and Fambras Halal, the mission features Brazil-based firms Ecotrading, Distillerie Stock do Brasil, Indústrias Almina, JCF Embalagens, Zoo Flora, OTC, Intercroma, and Falcafé. Except for certifier Fambras, Intercroma of construction, and JCF of packages, the other companies operate in agribusiness, food and beverage. The group includes companies that have exported to the Arab countries and some that are seeking out business for the first time there.
Bendita Mandioca
Bendita Mandioca will showcase in the two Arab countries all-natural, preservative-free, gluten-free, lactose-free cassava tablets that it manufactures. Flavors are provolone, spicy and natural. The company’s managing director Víctor Martínez says the company hasn’t exported to the Arab market yet, only to Canada and the United States, and that it’s seeking partners that could distribute its products in the Arab markets, particularly the UAE. “But we aim to export to all Arab League countries,” Martínez said.
Fambras Halal
Fambras Halal certifier International Relations director Nizar El Ghandour is going on the mission focused on showcasing to the Arab market the credibility of halal products made in Brazil. Halal means fit for Muslim consumption. On the trip, Ghandour plans on being there for the Brazilian companies – and seek new clients – as well as explaining to importers its halal certification process.
“I expect that this mission will be a success, that we’ll make many connections, that we’ll show that Brazil exports highly reliable halal goods with a high-level, world accredited certifier,” Ghandour says. The certifier has been in existence since 1979, is accredited in seven categories and operates in fields like slaughter, processed goods, cosmetic perfumes, and others. The executive says Fambras is a world accredited halal certifier by Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) and GCC Gulf Acreditation Center (GAC), among others.
Cacau Foods
Cacau Foods do Brasil director Silvano Luna decided on participating in the mission with the expectation of learning more about the Arab consumer market and understanding what are the opportunities in his industry. Cacau Foods manufactures confectionery and party goods like powdered chocolate, granulated chocolate and candies used for cupcakes, cakes, brigadeiros, and other confectionery goods.
Cacau Foods serves Brazil and 14 other markets across the Americas. Its goods are sold in party stores, supermarkets and wholesales in packages ranging from 50 grams to 1 kilo. The company hasn’t exported to the Arab world yet. “I’m going there to learn about, get to know the market and see if there are some opportunities. If some business opportunities arise, great,” Luna told ANBA. He said the format of the mission was very appealing and he believes that participating with the ABCC will provide the support the company needs.
Mission
The mission hosted by the ABCC will include activities in the UAE until November 2 and in Qatar in November 3 and 4. In the UAE, the delegation will visit pavilions of different countries in Expo 2020 Dubai, including Bahrain and Morocco. Activities on Sunday will start with a meeting with ABCC president Osmar Chohfi and CEO Tamer Mansour, who are in the UAE for Expo 2020. The business delegation is expected to come back home from Qatar on November 6.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
