São Paulo – A book launched on Aug. 1 in São Paulo aims to give Brazilians a better business understanding and better negotiation skills on dealing with Arabs. “Aprenda a negociar com o mundo árabe – Onde o impossível é possível” [Learn how to negotiate with the Arab world – Where the impossible is possible] was written by executive Rafael Solimeo, a Brazilian who lives in the United Arab Emirates and spent most of his life in the region.
Solimeo explains the idea for the book came from watching Brazilian businesspeople visiting the Arab countries whom he deals with as the head of the office of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) in Dubai. A somewhat cowered, frightened approach of Brazilian big corporate names, coupled with a lack of understanding about the countries in the region, made him aware that something had to be done.
While he was going through a personal healing moment trying to overcome some deficiencies, he decided to take upon himself the task of writing a book for these businesspeople, bringing together an experience amassed in the relationship with both sides and stories he witnessed over the years. Solimeo has headed the ABCC office in Dubai for five years and was raised in the UAE.
“The stereotypes on the Arab world that many Brazilian businesspeople come with when they arrive in the region get in the way of their negotiation, preventing them from feeling confident,” says Solimeo. The executive says he witnessed many groundbreaking, outstanding men and women from Brazil who didn’t manage to convey how great they are.
The first five chapters of Solimeo’s book seek to break barriers – tear down prejudices on the Arab world, showing how it actually is, to give a confidence boost for Brazilians in a negotiation. The executive presents Arab customs and expectations in trade relations, explaining their historical and cultural roots.
The remaining chapters are focused on Arabization. Throughout them, Solimeo delves into how to adapt companies and products in their various aspects to cater to the Arab market. Topics explored range from marketing – for the businesspeople to know how their business card should look in the Arab world, for instance – to creating products for the region’s preferences. These are all pervaded by the recounting of Solimeo’s personal experiences.
Rafael Solimeo
Solimeo was born in Brazil but raised in the Middle East and the United Kingdom. He holds a degree in international tourism management and an MBA in international business. Before joining the ABCC in 2013, where he first started as an international business executive, he worked in international and foreign trade divisions of companies. Solimeo is currently the chair of the Brazilian Business Council in the UAE, which he founded.
Signing one of the prefaces is the ABCC’s president, diplomat Osmar Chohfi. “In this book, Rafael Solimeo goes beyond identifying general and personal aspects of these relations to shows us the path to be walked and how to better reach our goals. And he makes this in a very personal, creative, fresh way,” he writes.
Brazil’s former president Michel Temer writes another preface highlighting the book’s uniqueness. “It teaches you how to showcase books and services, how to better time anegotiation, and how to show confidence in dealings, besides highlighting digital technology,” writes Arab-descendant Temer.
Launch
The launch took place in the Livraria da Vila bookstore in the JK Iguatemi Shopping Center. Guests like Michel Temer and ABCC’s officials like its president Osmar Chohfi attended. The bookstore gained an Arab atmosphere, with dates being distributed. The book is in Brazilian Portuguese and was released by Labrador publishing house and can be acquired in brick-and-mortar bookstores across Brazil, including Livraria da Vila, and e-commerce websites like Amazon.
Read more:
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
