São Paulo – The secretary-general of the Union of Arab Chambers (UAC), Khaled Hanafy, met last week with representatives of the International Office of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. They discussed the current stage of relations between Brazil and the Arab countries and the role of the office – started around two years ago – in expanding cooperation and business between the regions.
Hanafy met with the head of the ABCC’s Dubai office, Rafael Solimeo, the institution’s advisor for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Iraq and Yemen, Shaheen Ali Shaheen, and International Business executive, Noury Dweidary, as well as the director of the Union’s Arab Foreign Joint Chambers, Hoda Katchan. The meeting took place in parallel with the 131st Session of the UAC’s Board of Directors (BOD) in Dubai, in which Hanafy was chosen for a new four-year term as secretary-general of the institution.
Hanafy spoke about the importance of the ABCC in Dubai for enabling Arab and Brazilian businesspeople to meet, exchange ideas and expand the possibilities for partnerships in trade and investment. He believes that the exchange between representatives can open up new horizons. The secretary-general praised the development of Brazil-Arab relations, pointing it is a model of integration.
Shaheen addressed the work of the ABCC to improve its operations in the GCC countries and serve Arab businesspeople by providing information on trade and investment for those who want to do business with Brazil. Solimeo said the office has helped establishing new dynamics in the relations between Brazil and the Arab countries, bringing businesspeople and institutions closer together.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
