São Paulo – The CEO of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce,Michel Alaby, will be in Mauritania from September 14th to 18th to prospect for business opportunities involving the African country and Brazil. “The purpose of the visit will be to ascertain the potential for investment in the country and existing opportunities for Brazilian businesses [in Mauritania] and Mauritanian businesses [in Brazil]” the executive said.
Alaby will have a packed schedule of meetings and visits in the Arab nation. He will convene with the minister of Commerce, Industry and tourism, Naha Mint Mouknass, the minister of Economic Affairs and Development, Sid’ Ahmed Ould Raiss, the minister-delegate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of Maghrebi and African affairs, Khadijetou M’Bareck Fall, and the CEO of Private Investment Promotion, Ahmedou Ould Ely.
The executive will also meet with delegates from private sector organizations, including the chairman of the National Union of Mauritanian Employers, Ahmed Baba Ould Azizi, and the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Mauritania (CCIAM), Mohamedou Ould Mohamed Mahmoud.
At the CCIAM, Alaby will meet with other local entrepreneurs and sign a cooperation agreement between the Arab Brazilian chamber and its Mauritanian counterpart. “Our goal is to foster cooperation, the sharing of information, the holding of periodical meetings and other activities,” the CEO said.
Alaby is also paying a visit to the Nouadhibou Free Zone, on the Atlantic Coast, around 470 km away from the capital Nouakchott. The place is devoted to private activities in fishery, industry, trade, infrastructure, tourism and services, and works to attract local and international investors.
This is Alaby’s second trip to Mauritania. His first time in the country was in December 2011. Since then, the two countries have built their ties further. In 2012, Brazil’s then-foreign minister Antonio Patriota travelled to the African nation, and after that the then-Mauritanian minister of Foreign Affairs, Hamadi Ould Hamadi, visited Brazil. In that year, a technical cooperation agreement was signed and a joint bilateral commission was formed. There is a Brazilian diplomatic representation in Nouakchott and a Mauritanian one in Brasília.
Also in 2012, Brazil’s aircraft manufacturer Embraer sold its military aircraft the A-29 Supertucano to Mauritania. Later on, Mauritania Airlines purchased an Embraer ERJ 145 passenger jet.
Brazil’s exports to Mauritania totaled US$ 73 million from January to August, an increase of 71% over the same period of last year, according to data from the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC). The main products shipped were sugar, wheat, poultry and train parts.
On the other hand, Brazil imported US$ 67,000 from Mauritania against only US$ 2,420 in the same period of 2014. The only item imported was ovine leather.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mauritania had a strong growth in the last few years. The country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased 6.4% in 2014 and 5.7% in 2013. The Fund’s last forecast for 2015 points to a 5.5% growth. Mining and fishing are two of the main activities of the local economy. The population is less than 4 million people.
Chambers
Before landing in the Arab nation, Alaby will visit Paris, where is scheduled a meeting of the CEOs of the Arab-foreign chambers of commerce, a group to which the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce is a member. “We will discuss the operations of the chambers within the new economic reality, debate new activities and services”, he said.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum and Sérgio Kakitani
