São Paulo – Project Lebanon, a construction fair which began this Tuesday (5th) in Beirut, provides opportunities for seven Brazilian enterprises in attendance. The Brazilian ambassador to Lebanon, Paulo Roberto da Fontoura, said the Arab country is “a market to discover.” The Brazilian participation in the event is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Relations and the Brazilian embassy in Beirut, backed by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.
“The construction industry here is very dynamic right now. From my window I can see 19 cranes,” he says. “Brazil is the only Latin American country out of 36 exhibiting countries at the fair. When you have that many countries participating, it’s a sign that the market is going strong,” says the ambassador, who visited the Brazilian booth on the opening day.
To Fontoura, Brazil cannot be left out of the construction boom in Lebanon. “We are on the right track. There are companies here that attended last year and are back again. Right now, no one will take chances if the return is not there,” he says, highlighting the attractiveness of construction in the Arab country.
“The fair is a success and it’s an obligation for us to show the Brazilian entrepreneurs who look at other Gulf countries and overlook Lebanon that that is poor judgment,” he says.
The Arab Brazilian Chamber director Mustapha Abdouni emphasizes the number of visitors at the fair. “This is the first day and there are lots of people already,” he says. “The most important thing is that visitors are really interested in the Brazilian products, and that is the first step,” he says.
Fernanda Rezaque, a trader for Astra, a company that sells toilets, baths, bathroom cabinets and other bathroom items, explains that this is the company’s second time at the event. “We have brought products to offer, including higher value-added ones, because we have determined that there is a clientele for them.”
She says that in 2011, Astra found a distributor in Lebanon at the event, and this year it is seeking another partner. “We intend to find another distributor in Lebanon or some neighbouring country.”
Project Lebanon will continue until Friday (8th). In addition to Astra, the Brazilian booth features the companies Braseco, KRJ, Portobello, C3 Equipamentos, Saniram, and Universo Tintas.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
