São Paulo- The 36th edition of the Arab Health, the largest medical sector fair in the Middle East, to take place from January 24th to 27th, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, should include 44 Brazilian companies.
"Our differential is the diversity of products. We have from neonatal equipment, implants, equipment for cardiology, neurology, physiotherapy and diagnosis and hospital furniture, etc.," explained Paula Portugal, Marketing manager at the Brazilian Association of the Industry of Medical, Dental, Hospital and Laboratory Articles and Equipment (Abimo), regarding Brazilian participation in the event.
Expectations are for business reaching US$ 1.3 million to be generated during the event, and for contacts to be made at the fair to generate US$ 10 million in new business over the next 12 months.
This is the eighth year running that Brazil participates in the Arab Health. According to the Abimo, the Arab countries are responsible for 30% of medical sector exports from Brazil. According to Paula, expectations are for the importance of the region to grow this year.
"We were very well received in the Middle East. They do not buy so much from the United States and Europe, as it is more expensive, and avoid China, due to the [low] quality of the products. We were very well received there," said the manager.
In 2009, Brazil exported a total of US$ 540 million in medical and dentistry products. The estimate is for business to have reached US$ 630 million in 2010. Total sector revenues, including the domestic and foreign market, in turn, totalled 7.7 billion Brazilian reals (US$ 4.6 billion) in 2009, a value Abimo estimates may have reached 9 billion reals (US$ 5.4 billion) last year. The association has not yet closed the figures for sales in 2010.
Travels by national companies to the event are being organized in partnership between the Abimo and the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil). To the manager at Abimo, the fair is the "greatest bridge between Brazilian and Middle Eastern market". "If a medical sector company aims to sell to the Middle East, the Arab Health is the window. Brazilian companies work with distributors in that region, and are at Arab Health," she pointed out.
This year, the fair should include 2,700 exhibitors from 60 countries. The organisers of the event hope to receive 60,000 professionals from all over the world. The second main fair in the world in the health sector, Arab Health should have 31 national pavilions, including six new participants: Argentina, Portugal, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangladesh.
In the sidelines of the fair, the Arab Health Congress should also be promoted, including 18 conferences, with participation of 500 international speakers.
Priority market
For 2011, the Abimo has also elected Saudi Arabia as a priority market. In April, the organisation should send a representative to Saudi Med Care, to prospect the market in that country. According to Paula, Saudi Arabia has attracted the attention of the Brazilian industry, at the event in Dubai, due to the value bought, causing Abimo to decide to promote specific actions for that country.
After prospection, the organisation should decide whether to send a delegation to the Arab country or to return next year for participation in the fair with Brazilian companies. "We know that they have great potential. We are going to see the receptiveness to Brazilian products, specifically in Saudi Arabia," she said.
*Translated by Mark Ament
