São Paulo – With a lecture on the Arab natural stones market scheduled for its third day, Vitória Stone Fair is set to open on Tuesday (6) in Serra, Espírito Santo. Over 25,000 people are expected to attend the four-day event. A key get-together for the Latin American industry, the fair should welcome visitors from over 70 countries, including Arab ones.
This year, Michel Alaby, the CEO of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, will give a lecture about opportunities for the industry in Arab countries. “The idea is to go over the projects that are underway, especially in the Gulf. We will also cover a few aspects of the market, whose size is similar to that of the United States,” the executive said.
According to Alaby, Arab countries imported USD 2.1 billion worth of natural stones last year, while the USA purchased USD 3.3 billion. The difference resides in the share Brazil retains in each market: Brazilian exports to the USA amounted to USD 715.4 million, or 21.8% of the market, whereas exports to Arab countries slightly exceeded USD 11.5 million, or roughly 0.5%.
“Brazil is the 16th leading supplier of natural stones to Arab countries. China, Italy, Turkey and India are the biggest players there,” says Alaby.
The Arab Chamber CEO will also discuss the Middle East Stone Fair, an event held annually in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates – whose latest edition last May enabled good deal-making for Brazilian exhibitors. Big 5, the building industry show held every November in Dubai, will also be covered by the CEO.
Held on an annual basis in the metropolitan area of the capital of the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil’s biggest stones industry hub, Vitória Stone Fair will run from Tuesday (6) to Friday (9) from 1pm to 8pm. The Brazilian stones industry ranks among the world’s biggest – it shipped USD 1.2 billion worth of product abroad last year, or 2.3 million tons. Domestic output reached 9.5 million tons, with over 1,500 active quarries in the country.
In 2016, the fair welcomed 25,500 visitors, many of them from abroad, and 420 exhibitors were featured, 120 of whom were non-locals – including one Egyptian company. This year, no Arab exhibitors have confirmed their attendance yet.
Michel Alaby will speak on Thursday (8) at 4pm.
Quick facts
Vitória Stone Fair
June 6 to 9, 1pm to 8pm
Carapina Centro de Eventos, Serra (ES)
Find out more: http://www.vitoriastonefair.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
