São Paulo – This year, 44 Brazilian enterprises will exhibit at Arab Health, the Middle East’s leading healthcare industry expo, due from January 26th to 29th in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. As a result, the enterprises are expecting a combined US$ 20 million worth of deals throughout the year, according to the Brazilian Association of the Industry of Medical, Dental, Hospital and Laboratory Articles and Equipment (Abimo).
The Brazilian pavilion at the exhibition is organized by Abimo in partnership with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).
“Arab Health undoubtedly ranks among the most important actions in the Brazilian Health Devices calendar,” says Clara Porto, Abimo’s Commercial Promotion coordinator. Brazilian Health Devices is the name of Abimo’s and Apex’s project for encouraging industry exports.
“Our participation has grown over the past few years, and this can be verified by the growing numbers of meetings, of countries reached via the expo, of sales and deals made during the event. It is currently the most lucrative medical-hospital expo for Brazilian companies, business-wise,” says Porto.
According to Porto, generally speaking, there is a demand for healthcare products and equipment in Arab countries. “The region is fairly dependent on imports. Acceptance of Brazilian physiotherapy and aesthetics products, electrosurgery, ICU and neonatal products is widespread,” she says. According to the Abimo coordinator, the leading Arab importers of Brazilian products last year were Algeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon.
Industry export overall figures for 2014 have not come out yet. Still, Porto has high expectations regarding sales to Arabs this year. “Broadly speaking, expectations when it comes to selling to markets like Africa and the Middle East are always positive, since this translates into market diversification, and these regions have proven to welcome Brazilian products,” she assesses.
For the 2014 Arab Health edition, Abimo polled 32 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Middle East. As per the poll, 57% of respondents believed Brazilian products’ prices are competitive, and 52% believe the quality of Brazilian products shown at the event is good. The poll shows 91% of respondents see Brazil as a global player in the medical equipment industry. Last year, participating Brazilian companies made US$ 1.185 million worth of deals immediately after the exhibition.
In 2015, six Brazilian companies are attending the Arab fair for the first time: Atrasorb, DFV, Dorja, Lupetec, Osteomed, and Spine Implantes. The Brazilian pavilion is also featuring Baumer, Biomecanica, Carci, Casex, CBEMED, Deltronix, Drillermed, Fanem, GMI, GM Reis, Hospimetal, Hospitalar Feira + Forum, Hpbio, IBF, Ibramed, Impol, Inpromed, Instramed, Loktal, Magnamed, MDT, Medicone, MMO, Neoortho, NS, Olidef, Olsen, Phoenix, Russer, Samtronic, Schioppa, Sincron, Sismatec, Scitech, and Traumec. Bioclin, DK Diagnostics, and Indrel will be at a pavilion in Medlab, the laboratories exhibition held in parallel with Arab Health.
Arab Health will feature 4,000 exhibitors, 200 of which are first-timers. The exhibition will feature national pavilions from 40 different countries.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
