São Paulo – There is potential to be tapped into in Brazilian-Arab trade, and that may happen in the years ahead with the help of chambers of commerce. This Wednesday (21), Union of Chambers of Commerce advisor Sara El Gazzar, Arab-Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce secretary-general Qaisar Hijazi, and Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) secretary-general Tamer Mansour discuss the role of the organizations they represent in encouraging projects. The panel was part of the Economic Forum Brazil & Arab Countries, hosted by the ABCC, and it was moderated by ABCC board member Mohamed Abdouni.
“The Union of Arab Chambers has multiple efforts underway to support production chains in Arab Countries,” said El Gazzar. “One effort involves supporting small and medium businesses through training, technical support, funding, and innovation towards food security. Another effort involves digitization, in tandem with the Union of Arab Banks, to enable safer transactions and a digital economy. We are also working with platforms to match supply and demand, and relying on databanks to facilitate trade.”
Hijazi stressed the need for chambers to work together to address shared challenges. “Arab chambers in Brazil, Belgium and everywhere are go-betweens connecting all parties to determine which technologies are required. The new policy, when it comes to agriculture, is sustainable agriculture.”
Mansour also stressed the need for tandem work towards shared goals. He said that a direct shipping lane to link up Brazil and the Arab countries is in order. He also said that blockchain technology, which the ABCC has just gotten into, has the potential to bring countries together towards a commerce-oriented project.
Mansour argued that the relationship where Brazil is a food supplier and the Arab countries are food consumers needs to evolve to where the Arabs will manufacture and reexport goods using Brazilian know-how. “It all goes to show how important it is to conduct studies together in order to determine potentialities, to always work with a win-win vision, and within long-term partnerships.”
Pictured above are Mansour (left), and onscreen are Abdouni (L), Hijazi (C) and El Gazzar (R)
Check out the full coverage on ANBA.
Special report by Marcos Carrieri for ANBA
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
