São Paulo – Brazil and the United Arab Emirates are making efforts to bring their private sectors closer, and this was one of the main themes of the UAE Global Business Forum, which took place on Friday (25) at the Unique Hotel in São Paulo, on the sidelines of the B20 Summit, featuring the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi.
The two countries held the first meeting of the Brazil-UAE Business Council on Friday (25) before the forum. Speaking at the event on behalf of the president of industry group CNI, Ricardo Alban, CNI technology and innovation director Jefferson de Oliveira Gomes listed the areas that will be advanced by the council.
They are: innovation and technology, sustainability, and strategic sectors. “The partnership in technology is a fertile ground; we can join forces to boost research and development by exchanging experiences that benefit our economies,” said Gomes, reading Alban’s speech. The goal is also to explore initiatives that foster environmental practices in industry, ensuring a better future for communities.
“We should see sectors such as agribusiness, mining, energy, and defense as essential. Focusing on these areas can yield positive results and strengthen our bilateral trade,” he said. Gomes conveyed the message from the president of the CNI that, although it has advanced, Brazil-UAE trade still has a vast potential to be tapped. Investments reached USD 2 billion in 2022. “This is proof of the confidence that investors place in our market,” Gomes said on behalf of Alban.
Minister Al Zeyoudi spoke at the forum about the close relationship between Brazil and the UAE and noted that 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The minister added Brazil was the first country in South America where the UAE established an embassy and mentioned the extent of the trade relations. “Our nations also share ambitious visions for the future and prosperity,” he said.
In Brazil
Al Zeyoudi said that the UAE’s participation in the B20 was made possible by Brazil’s invitation, as the Latin American giant holds the presidency of the group. The B20 Summit is taking place in São Paulo from Thursday to Friday (25), bringing together representatives from the private sectors of G20 countries about a month before the G20 Summit to be held in November in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil holds the presidency of both the G20 and the B20. In addition to Al Zeyoudi and Gomes, other representatives from the public and private sectors spoke at the forum.
The Brazil-UAE Business Council was first established by the CNI and the UAE’s Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) in 2021. In addition to participating in the meeting of this group, the UAE delegation in Brazil also held a bilateral meeting with the federal government. Minister Al Zeyoudi met with Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry and Trade Executive Secretary Márcio Elias Rosa, according to information released by the ministry.
The Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC)’s treasure director, Nahid Chicani, and vice president of foreign trade, William Adib Dib Jr., participated in the UAE Global Business Forum. The event was hosted by the Embassy of the UAE in Brasília and the Ministry of Economy of the Arab country, with support from Brazil’s federal government and Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the Secretariat for Innovation, Modernization and Digital Transformation of the State of Paraná, and the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp).
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
