São Paulo – Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will visit Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, on April 15, after his trip to China, from April 11 to 14.
According to the preliminary schedule, the president is expected to have appointments on April 15, with his return to Brazil on the morning of April 16.
This will be Lula’s first official visit to an Arab country in his third term. There is still no detailed information about his schedule in the emirate.
President Lula postponed his trip to China and the UAE on medical advice. The first date announced for his visit to Abu Dhabi was March 31.
Lula went to Egypt for COP27 in November last year as a guest. He was president-elect but had not yet been sworn into office; hence, it was not an official visit. The emirate of Dubai will host COP28 from November 30 to December 12 this year.
The 22 countries of the League of Arab States are Brazil’s third largest trading partner after China and the United States. Last year, Brazil exported about USD 18 billion to the Arabs and imported approximately USD 15 billion from the bloc.
The UAE were the leading Arab buyer. In 2022, Brazil exported USD 3.25 billion to the Gulf country and imported USD 2.5 billion. Poultry protein, sugar, gold, and cellulose were the main Brazilian products sold to the UAE. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, and Bahrain appear among the five main Arab trade partners of Brazil.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
