São Paulo – The main goals of the visit made by the Secretary-General and Vice-President of International Relations of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), Mohamad Mourad, to Bahrain on February 24 and 25 were to diversify trade, attract investments, and encourage Bahraini entrepreneurs to invest in Brazil. He and the head of the ABCC’s Dubai office, Rafael Solimeo, held meetings with the support of Brazil’s Ambassador in Manama, Adriano Pucci, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy, Gustavo Guimarães Campello.
Mourad and Safa Sharif Khaleq, CEO of export promotion agency Export Bahrain, signed a memorandum of understanding to promote initiatives and projects that encourage trade between the two countries. Mourad said there are opportunities to expand commercial relations in both value and products. “Brazil can provide more meat and sugar, and, in return, buy fertilizers, aluminum, as well as cosmetics and fragrances,” he said.
During one of the visits, the Secretary-General of the ABCC was received at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he presented the ABCC’s digital document certification platform. “We discussed the importance of digitalization to facilitate exports, the advantages of the Ellos Blockchain system for issuing certificates in a reliable, sustainable, and fast way,” he said.
According to Mourad, fiberglass manufacturer Ilium Composites expressed interest in expanding its operations in Brazil, where the company already has a production facility. He also visited steel company SULB Company, which processes iron ore produced in Brazil, and was received at Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) and the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB).
With the CEO of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Atef Mohamed Al Khaja, the Brazilian delegation suggested organizing a mission of local entrepreneurs to Brazil for business meetings and technical visits arranged by the ABCC. The Bahrain institution will also promote the Global Halal Brazil Business Forum among its partners, an event co-organized by the ABCC, which will take place in October in São Paulo.
Trade between Brazil and Bahrain has room to grow
According to Campello, the visit of the Secretary-General of the ABCC to Bahrain was an opportunity to “strengthen” the commercial ties between the two countries. He emphasized that Bahrain has a culture of establishing prior relationships based on knowledge and trust between entrepreneurs, which can lead to successful business deals.
“The ABCC and the Bahrain Chamber, the main chamber of commerce in Bahrain, agreed to continue discussions that started in January 2025 for the organization of a Bahrain trade mission to Brazil later this year, focusing on four areas—food security, health, education, and information technology. The mission is expected to coincide with fairs dedicated to one or more of these sectors,” said Campello.
The diplomat also believes that “the process of revitalizing trade relations” between the two countries should contribute to more trade missions to Bahrain, with the potential to explore business opportunities in sectors such as agricultural technology aimed at promoting food security, sanitation, tourism, and sports.
According to information from Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, Brazil exported USD 1 billion to Bahrain last year, a decrease compared to the USD 1.171 billion exported in 2023. Iron ore was the leading product exported. On the other hand, Bahrain shipped USD 200 million worth of products to Brazil in 2024, also down from USD 215 million in 2023. Last year, the top products imported by Brazil from Bahrain were petroleum derivatives, urea, and aluminum alloys.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
