São Paulo – The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce held, on Monday (13) evening, in São Paulo, a tribute dinner to Kuwait’s ambassador in Brasília, Ayadah AlSaidi (left, in the picture above), who is leaving his position to take over his country’s embassy in Madrid, Spain.
The diplomat told ANBA that he’s had the support of the Arab Chamber since he arrived in Brazil, five years ago. “Since the moment of my arrival, the Arab Chamber welcomed me at the plane’s doorsteps and supported me and Kuwait’s embassy in everything in their reach,” he said. “The Arab Chamber did many things that made my job easier,” he added. He thanked the organization’s staff and board members for the support.
AlSaidi added that Brazil is his “second home.” “For the first time I didn’t feel like a foreigner in another country, people believe I’m Brazilian,” he emphasized. Before, the ambassador worked with Kuwait’s mission at the UN and in diplomatic representations of the Arab country in Bulgaria, Thailand and Italy.
“We had the privilege of having an ambassador from Kuwait with a vast experience,” said the Arab Chamber’s president, Rubens Hannun (right, in the picture above). “And we are very grateful to the ambassador for the partnership with the Chamber in these five years,” he said.
The diplomat mentioned some of the highlights of the relations between Kuwait and Brazil in the period he spent in Brasília, such as the five missions organized by representatives from the Arab Chamber to his country and the bilateral meeting for political consultations held recently in Kuwait City.
“And we increased investments and economic relations,” he said. AlSaidi also mentioned the opportunity he’s had of following up close the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
Hannun thanked the ambassador for the support lent to the work of the Arab Chamber during Operação Carne Fraca, launched by the Federal Police in last year’s first half with the aim to investigate wrongdoings in slaughterhouses and the in the work of inspectors from the Ministry of Agriculture. The operation impacted Brazilian poultry and beef exports.
“The support by the ambassador was crucial for us to continue to have strong trade relations with Kuwait, made even more important given the influence of Kuwait in the Gulf region and among Arab countries in general,” remarked the Arab Chamber’s president.
Representing the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brazil, Malek Twal, Jordan’s ambassador in the country, said that the support that the Arab Chamber provides “is authentic and the same” to all Arab embassies. “Before, the role of embassies was a political one, but now it became economic. We thank the Arab Chamber, which help us to fulfill our mission in the best possible way,” he said.
Also at the dinner were the Arab Chamber’s vice presidents Osmar Chofi (Foreign Relations) and Riad Younes (Marketing), president of the council, Walid Yazigi, CEO, Michel Alaby, Treasure Director Nahid Chicani, the advisor of the presidency for special projects, Tamer Mansour, former president Orlando Sarhan, and directors William Atui and Mohamed Abdouni.
Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
