São Paulo – A 15-strong group of delegates from Minas Gerais, Brazil-based companies led by the Minas Trade and Business Association (ACMinas) will be in Dubai, the UAE on November 7 to tell local executives about the state’s business potential and discuss prospective investment and export deals. While there, ACMinas will launch its new Minas Guide, containing information on subjects including the state’s economy, major companies and industries, recent investments, history and culture.
“Minas has a lot to offer and we know we must work to build a relationship. This is our first step towards this,” ACMinas director and International Relations Board chair Mônica Cordeiro (pictured) told ANBA. After their appointments in Dubai on the 7th, the group is slated to arrive in Shanghai, China for other meetings.
According to Mônica, Dubai’s promising scenario and the values it shares with Brazil were some of the reasons the emirate was chosen for the Minas Guide launch. The publication has been coming out in English for 10 years now. Two years ago, an online version in seven languages – including Arabic – was made available, as well as a mobile version. The online version was updated last week – as it is on an annual basis. This will be the Guide’s first-ever launch away from Brazil.
The ACMinas director will lead the mission. She said the Minas Guide is intended as a welcome card both for prospective investors and for would-be exporters in Minas Gerais. According to Mônica, the companies joining this trip are foreign trade-ready. They are small- and medium-sized businesses in industries including fashion, construction, fruits, food, cosmetics, stones and jewelry, and services.
In both legs of the trip, some of the participating companies will play the part of ‘anchors,’ since they are already active in those areas. The anchor company in Dubai will be Grupo Martini Saback, a conglomerate active in civil construction in the UAE and Oman. The anchor for Shanghai is the Serpa group, an international logistics industry player in China and the United States.
At the Metropolitan Hotel Dubai, a presentation on the state will be given and the Minas Guide will be launched. Next there will be prescheduled business meetings with executives from local companies. The mission relies on partnership from the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Commercial Promotion and Investments Department, which invited Arab businesspersons for the meetings.
“We will tell them ‘come see Minas Gerais, meet our executives, we have quality product on hand that meet the requirements of the Arab market,” says Mônica. Besides Martini Saback and Serpa, the mission will comprise Fazenda Olhos D’Água (litchi), Sr. Ninico (cheese puffs), Pachamama (cosmetics), Arte Sacra, Danielle Benício and Le Dix Store (fashion), Diamante Azul (stones and jewels), Minas do Lar and TC Engenharia (construction), Ephata (visual communication), Social Motive (marketing), Inova School (languages) and Socila (beauty).
Commodities make up the bulk of sales from Minas Gerais to Arab countries at this time, according to Brazilian Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services data compiled by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, January to September saw USD 977.5 million in sales of mostly ores, sugar, piping, poultry and coffee.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
