São Paulo – Fifty years on from the establishment of diplomatic relations on June 10, 1974, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates celebrate Monday (10) a bilateral exchange that goes beyond trade and diplomatic collaborations to encompass areas such as tourism, culture, education, defense and security. In the words of the UAE’s ambassador to Brasília, Saleh Ahmad Salem Alzaraim Alsuwaidi, they “represent just the beginning of a very promising journey”. In an exclusive interview with ANBA, the diplomat highlights key points of this partnership and share his country’s vision for the following years.
“The UAE stands as an important investor in Brazil, with contributions exceeding USD 20 billion, mainly in infrastructure, energy, technology and agribusiness. Brazil, in turn, stands out as the second largest investor in the real estate area in the UAE,” the diplomat said.
Alsuwaidi has been in charge of the Embassy in Brasília since September 2020, after stints in India’s New Delhi, Germany’s Berlin, and elsewhere. He was the UAE’s general-consul to São Paulo from 2013-2016. He headed his country’s embassy in New Zealand from 2017 to 2022. Three years later, he returned to Brazil as ambassador.
He mentions that the trade exchange between Brazil and his country has grown over the years, reaching USD 5.7 billion in 2022, a jump of 75% compared to 2021, when the world was still feeling the impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic. Brazil’s exports to the UAE reached USD 3.2 billion in 2022, and imports USD 2.5 billion, with leading exports being poultry, sugar, and beef.
Brazil-UAE trade diversification
“To expand this trade exchange to products of higher added value, various Brazilian sectors present high potential for export to the UAE, such as the aerospace industry, hospitality, pharmaceutical products, cosmetics and technology,” says Alsuwaidi.
Besides pointing out the industries that could benefit from an boost in the partnership, the ambassador indicates how this boost could be achieved. “It is worth highlighting the intensification of mutual investments that can boost the diversification of the trade, with the development of joint ventures and the transfer of technology. In addition to participation in international fairs and events, such as Expo 2025 Dubai, which can increase the visibility of Brazilian products with higher added value in the market of the UAE and the world,” he says.
Read more:
Relief flight lands in Brazil after mobilizing UAE
Adding that the UAE has more than USD 20 billion invested in Brazil, Alsuwaidi points out that Brazil is the largest destination for exports from the UAE in South America and the second largest trading partner in the Americas, only behind the United States. The UAE’s public and private agencies have shares in Brazil’s companies in industries such as infrastructure, meats, and food.
“The UAE has shown a growing interest in investing in Brazil, mainly in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, agribusiness and tourism. According to Camex [Brazil’s Foreign Trade Chamber], the evolution of direct foreign investment from the UAE in Brazil shows strong growth from 2015 with an average annual rate of 20%,” says the ambassador.
“Vibrant community”
Since 2007, airline Emirates has flied between Dubai and São Paulo, a presence that has grown over the years to expand the number of flights and open up Rio de Janeiro as another destination in the country. Another airline from the UAE, Etihad Airways, which is now run by a Brazilian, flied between Abu Dhabi and São Paulo from 2013 and 2017. Both companies have Brazilians in their staffs.
Alsuwaidi adds that a “vibrant and growing” Brazilian community lives in the UAE, thus contributing to strengthen the ties between the countries, although the presence of Emiratis in Brazil is relatively small. This, however, opens up a range of opportunities, because “by strengthening migratory ties between Brazil and the UAE, we can build an even more prosperous and united future in friendly peoples.”
Such future would entail intensifying collaboration in areas such as research and development, technology, and health, and seek innovative solutions to “global challenges”. Fostering tourism, the participation in cultural events and the exchange between professionals would further tighten the ties. “The celebration of this historical milestone is an invitation to build an even more prosperous and beneficial future among the peoples of the two countries,” he says.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
