São Paulo – Arab-British Chamber of Commerce secretary-general Bandar Reda and his counterpart at the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce, Mudar Khoja, discussed the situation of business amid the pandemic, featuring Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) International Relations manager Fernanda Baltazar as moderator. The discussion wrapped up day two of the Economic Forum Brazil & Arab Countries, taking place until next Thursday (22).
According to Reda, the present situation is a challenging one. “What’s going on is really unparalleled. This is the first experience of its kind for small, medium and big businesses alike,” he said. He also said virtually every Arab company present in the United Kingdom and vice versa have been impacted by the pandemic, but he sees different approaches being taken. “I see people adapting to the restrictions and to a much more digital world, and I see companies that used to employ a certain number of people and then shifted towards a different, online-based strategy. I think we have an opportunity for each company and each entrepreneur. In each case, you can look at things differently and adapt accordingly.”
Mudar Khoja of the Austro-Arab Chamber said some sectors of the economy, like tourism, services, transportation, cultural and sporting events have been severely impacted by the pandemic. “But we are witnessing a rebirth of other sectors, such as telecom and digitization processes, with online classes and events.”
Khoja said he believes Brazil is benefiting from this process, and that a paradigm shift is underway. “For example, having strong armed forces and a strong army isn’t as important to some nations anymore. The most important thing right now when it comes to security is research. Right now, it’s about protecting your production and supply chains, especially when it comes to medical products such as sanitizer and medication. These items are important in treating infected people.”
He also argued that the role of chambers of commerce is to show the market, partners and local businesses that these sectors are important at the local and international levels. “Our role is to come up with new solutions for people to network, to address their needs in virtual fashion at this time.”
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Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
