São Paulo – The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply is bringing a group of 15 companies to showcase their products at SIAL Middle East, from December 10 to 12 in Abu Dhabi, the UAE. The Ministry took care of the Brazilian participation last year, which yielded a combined USD 22 million in deals. Now, it has decided to do it again.
The food, beverage and hospitality expo welcomes buyers from across the Middle East. The companies in the Brazilian stand deal in açaí, pulps, coffee, café, tapioca, guaraná, honey, propolis, nuts, sweets, seeds, biscuits, fruits, meats, equipment etc. The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce will be represented as well.
The Ministry’s general coordinator for Foreign Investment and Cooperation, Rodrigo da Matta, says lots of businesses registered and underwent a selection, considering the needs of the Middle East market and the profiles of would-be exhibitors: whether they already export or are able to do so, whether they have English websites, etc.
Matta explains that there’s a great market for the exhibitors’ products in the UAE and surroundings. Most are small- and medium-sized companies. The Ministry’s goal in joining shows like SIAL Middle East, is to provide those businesses with access to the international market, the coordinator said.
The Brazilian exhibitors will be 100% Amazônia (açaí, guaraná), Essenciale (propolis), AE Negócios Internacionais (fruit pulp, açaí), ALM Brazil (coffee, açaí, tapioca, fruits), Amazonas Group (Brazil nut), Apisvida (honey and propolis), ABN8 (coffee, coconut, açaí), Boavistense (sweets, hard candy), Cooperativa Agrícola de Petrolina (seeds), Cory (biscuits), Elba Green (specialty coffee), FinoAgro (mango), Minerva (meats and meat products), Phyto Planet (açaí), and Bralyx (equipment).
Matta notes that the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry is doing a lot of work in the UAE area, as well as in Asia. It has taken part in Agriscape, an international event focusing on agricultural investment held last October in Abu Dhabi. On that occasion, a portfolio of Brazilian agricultural projects available to foreign investors was presented. Matta intends to get back in touch with contacts he got ahold of at that show during SIAL in Abu Dhabi.
January to October saw USD 1.6 billion in goods shipped from Brazil to the UAE. The two top-selling items were food products: meats and sugar. Exports to Arab countries as a whole fetched USD 9.3 billion, also driven by sugar and meats.
SIAL Middle East is about to enter its ninth edition. It will feature over 1,000 exhibitors and 30 national pavilions, according to its website. The organizers are available to arrange B2B events if exhibitors require. The goal of SIAL Middle East is to be a deal-making platform and industry innovation showcase. The USD 22 million in deals for Brazilians last year (pictured at the top of this story) include immediate deals and deals expected to go through in the 12 months after the expo.
Quick facts
9th SIAL Middle East
December 10-12, 2018
Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates
Website: https://www.sialme.com/
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
