Dubai – On Wednesday (15), in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) signed agreements with four local institutions. The objective is to provide incentives to the presence of Brazilian companies in the emirate and of companies from Dubai in Brazil.
“Most aim at fostering existing relations, the exchange of information, missions, [with measures turned] especially to small and medium companies,” said the president at Apex, Maurício Borges. “The idea is to bring other Brazilian companies here and, in their case, to take more companies from Dubai to Brazil,” he added.
The signing of memoranda of understanding took place after the seminar opening the programme of the Brazilian trade mission in the Emirates, led by Development, Industry and Foreign Trade minister Fernando Pimentel. Before that, the delegation went to Saudi Arabia and part went to Qatar.
The highlight was the agreement signed with Dubai Media City, a kind of free zone turned to media and information technology companies. “This memorandum should simplify the work of Brazilian companies eyeing Dubai, and also that of companies from Dubai that are interested in the growing Brazilian economy,” said the general manager of the agency in the emirate, Mohammed Abdullah.
The intention is to create in the Media City something similar to the Business Centre that Apex has in Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), a kind of incubator for companies that want to grow on the international market. According to the manager of the centre, Sidney Costa, the agreement was made to open space for suppliers of services, as Jafza is turned to products.
The terms of the new initiative are not yet under negotiation, but Costa said that it should be put in practice this year. “It is the fastest and cheapest solution for a Brazilian company to come here,” he said.
Another document was signed with Jafza itself and the objective is to simplify the installation of Brazilian companies at the site. According to the deputy CEO and commercial director of the free zone, Ibrahim Al Janahi, the number of Brazilian companies present in Jebel Ali has grown from three in 2009 to the current 17. In total, nine are in the Apex centre. They operate in areas like auto parts, cosmetics, food and also in medical, hospital and dentistry products.
The agreements were signed with Fahad Al Gergawi, CEO of the Dubai’s investment promotion agency (DFDI), to elaborate collaboration between both organisations and promote events and partnerships, and with Saeed Al Alawi, CEO of the emirates’ export promotion agency (Dubai Exports), to foster the exchange of information and cooperation between both organisations. Alawi mentioned that the main products exported by Dubai to Brazil are polymers, glass and metals.
Highlight
Minister Pimentel provided the tone for the seminar, followed by business roundtables. “The government of Brazil defined the United Arab Emirates as the most important point in the region in the point of view of trade relations,” he said. “The country provides an example of economic development with political equilibrium,” he pointed out.
To Pimentel, with the global economy faced by the crisis of the Euro Zone, “the strengthening of trade relations between Brazil and the Emirates is very important.” “It is a way to face the crisis without our countries suffering more severe consequences,” he pointed out. “It is fundamental for relations between Brazil and the Emirates to prosper more and more,” he finished off.
In the same line, Salim Taufic Schahin president at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, which is providing support to the delegation, said that “it is very important for Brazil to have this contact with Arab businessmen.” “I would like to make use of the opportunity to call for Arab companies to come to Brazil. You will feel at home,” he pointed out. “And the Arab Brazilian Chamber will be at your disposal to present you to the market,” he added, to an audience crowded with representatives of companies from Brazil and the Emirates.
João Mendonça Lima, the new ambassador of Brazil to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates, said that the embassy is also at the disposal of businessmen to help them do business with Brazil. He added that the economy of Brazil is growing and that it is already the sixth in the world. “This represents a significant market for you [from the Emirates]”, he finished off.
*Translated by Mark Ament
