São Paulo – Representatives of companies and sectorial organizations participated, on Thursday (4), in São Paulo, in a seminar about the Big 5, the main fair in the building sector in the Middle East, promoted by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex). The meeting served to present the fair, which takes place in late November, in Dubai, as well as the market in the Gulf region, to those interested in exhibiting.
Among the participants was Newton Nascimento, of the export department at Deca, a maker of bathroom metals and ceramics. The company has already participated in other editions of the fair and is going to exhibit again this year. "In general, a great volume of Deca exports stay in Latin America, but outside the region, the Arab market buys 30%, and that includes Europe, Africa and Asia,” he said.
In the Middle East, the company is represented by Arteco, an organisation in Dubai, which should exhibit at the fair, as was the case last year. According to Nascimento, with the international financial crisis, exports to the region dropped, but this year sales improved and further growth is expected in 2012.
Rubens Azevedo, the foreign trade director at XCMG Brasil, an importer, exporter and distributor of machinery for the building sector, has never exhibited at the Big 5, but plans to go to the fair this year, maybe just to visit.
The company has been importing machinery for the Chinese XCMG, which will now have a production line in Brazil, according to him. With the experience acquired in the sector, Azevedo believes the company may follow the inverse route, that is, taking Brazilian companies abroad.
“There is obviously market,” said the executive, after the seminar, in which economic figures about the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the bloc that includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Oman.
Gilmar Vilaça Duarte runs a small company in the slate sector, Pedragil, in the state of Minas Gerais. He has already participated in events promoted by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) in consortium with other companies and went to the seminar to learn more about the Big 5.
Duarte said that he cannot exhibit alone, but is prepared to work in partnership with other businessmen. He exports to the United States, Europe and South America, but aims to test his luck in other destinations, “not to be stuck to more saturated markets, to diversify”.
Big 5 will be promoted from November 21st to 24th, and will have a Brazilian pavilion organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber and Apex. The stand will include 22 exhibitors and enrolment for participation is open.
Further Information
Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce
Tel.: (+55 11) 3147-4095, with Simone Rojas
E-mail: simone_rojas@ccab.org.br
Site: www.ccab.org.br
Fair site: www.thebig5.ae
*Translated by Mark Ament
