Much has been said, studied and discussed on business opportunities between Brazil and the Arab countries, and rightly so! In recent years the Arab bloc has become one of our major markets, if not the leading one, particularly in agribusiness.
But it’s important that we extend this look to other opportunities these countries offer due to their strength. The sustainable growth seen in the region during the pandemic years has recently been recognized by The Economist.
Green cities, smart cities, new cities, commercial hubs, cutting-edge technology, 3D-printing buildings using sustainable building material are teeming in the region. And there’s also geopolitics indicating that these countries are becoming leading players now and likely to play an even bigger role in the future.
We must continue and extend our attention to other fields as well, based on our good diplomatic relations with them, the growing trade and promising investments, not to mention the huge Arab-descendant population that was welcomed with open arms and has helped build Brazil.
We must give this relation the due strategic importance. Strategic partnerships are necessary and should happen in the labor and training market, too.
In the field of training, we could encourage the exchange of students, professors and knowledge. We have much to share.
In this regard there has already been initiatives from both individual countries and the League of Arab States mission in Brazil, but they can and should be increased.
We also must focus on labor.
The Arab countries are becoming an excellent labor market, particularly for youth. Our universities and young people should be aware of that.
In addition to producing knowledge that the Arabs are attracting to their market, we’ve also seen other countries turning the Arab world, particularly Dubai, into a testing and launching ground for their innovations, as was the case with the first flying car tested by China.
A larger inclusion in the Arab labor market is a win-win for both workers and countries.
Brazil wins because it will export skilled knowledge, culture, way of life, thus trailing a blaze for even more Brazilian companies. The Arab countries win not only because of Brazilians’ technical skills and expertise but their resilience, dedication, tolerance, creativity and ability to adapt, among other traits of training, culture and education our people has to offer.
And opportunities are all around.
There are opportunities basically across all fields, from the more traditional ones to more modern, promising fields.
In building, in addition to usual projects, there are whole cities being developed from scratch. And in this process where everything is needed, the requirements are guided by sustainability and a look towards the future. The use of 3D printing elements using recyclable material is noteworthy.
In agribusiness, as we know, they are investing heavily in food security and encouraging their own production with a lot of technology. But they need expertise, and Brazilians are a role model they want to follow. That’s all they need.
Mobility is still a trend of smart cities, favoring technology, adaptation, convenience and sustainability.
In entertainment, our professionals have a large field to explore, and the Arabs need and want the Brazilian expertise. Their opening for tourism and the intention to provide more entertainment to local populations are creating many new jobs.
Concerts, tournaments, sports championships, car races, et cetera, have gained ground in recent years, attracting the attention of the world and taking thousands of tourists and workers to the Arab bloc.
In 2023 we’ll have Formula 1 races in four Arab countries, including its opening and closing races.
We have seen the Club World Cup in Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and the world exhibition Expo 2020 Dubai in the UAE. This year we have COP27 in Egypt and the World Cup Qatar. These are just some of the events that draw the attention of the whole world are being held in Arab countries, not to mention domestic parties and events.
Brazil, well known for hosting concerts, global congresses, the Olympics, and especially Carnaval, with excellence in promotion, organization and security, is well regarded and welcomed with its professionals in communication and advertising, marketing, promotion and events.
As a last example, Dubai’s decision to be the capital of the Metaverse with the Dubai Metaverse Strategy program is major, expecting to attract over 1,000 companies related to topic and creating 40,000 virtual jobs by 2030.
In short, we can see that the opportunities for our workers and students from the most diverse areas abound and will help us reach the future faster if included in this part of the work that proves to be increasingly advanced, mindful, achiever and efficient.
*Rubens Hannun is consultant, president of the H2R Pesquisas Avançadas institute and former president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
