São Paulo – Relations between Brazil and Egypt are developing very well in the political sphere, but investment and trade between the two countries have the potential to grow further. So says diplomat Mai Taha Khalil, who in November marked one year as Egypt’s ambassador to Brazil and is having meetings in São Paulo this week to boost commercial relations between the two nations.
“I hope relations further develop in investment and trade,” the ambassador told ANBA during a visit to the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) where she was welcomed by the institution’s leaders and met with directors of the WAHI women’s committee and female members of the organization. This year, from January to October, the Latin American country’s exports to Egypt grossed USD 3.1 billion, while Brazilian imports of Egyptian products reached USD 811 million.
The ambassador sees numerous possibilities for trade and investment between the two nations. “I see great potential, many opportunities, but we need to do more,” she says. She believes a direct flight between Brazil and Egypt could boost this exchange. “The distance is significant, but with a direct flight, it’ll feel shorter. It’ll encourage more Brazilian businesspeople to go to Egypt and more Egyptians to come to Brazil,” she said.
There are ongoing discussions for Egypt Air to resume a direct flight between Cairo and São Paulo, a topic that has even been addressed in meetings between high-ranking officials from Brazil and Egypt. Mai Taha Khalil hopes the flight will be reinstated next year. She believes the route’s availability will encourage not only business but also closer ties in areas such as culture and tourism.
During the meetings at the ABCC, in which the ambassador participated alongside Egypt’s commercial consul in São Paulo, Nashwa Bakr, numerous topics on the commercial agenda were discussed, and joint actions or support initiatives between the embassy and the ABCC were outlined. The ambassador aims to leverage the positive moment in bilateral political relations to also provide renewed momentum to trade and investments.
Authorities from Brazil and Egypt have been meeting frequently. Among the most recent, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi attended the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro in November as an invited guest of Brazil, and HE held a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Last Monday, Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira met with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on the sidelines of the Cairo Ministerial Conference to Enhance the Humanitarian Response in Gaza.
At the meeting at the ABCC, the institution’s leaders and the ambassador assessed the current Brazil-Egypt trade. Despite the consensus on the need for progress, ABCC Institutional Relations Director Fernanda Baltazar highlighted the growth already achieved. In 2023, Egypt was the fourth largest destination of Brazilian products in the Arab world and the seventh largest Arab exporter to Brazil. This year through October, Egypt became the second largest destination and the fifth largest supplier.
ABCC Secretary-General and International Relations Vice President of International Relations Mohamad Mourad highlighted the growth in Brazil-Egypt trade in 2024 and the importance Egypt has gained in the Brazil-Arab trade balance. ABCC President Osmar Chohfi said one of the factors driving this growth is the free trade agreement between Egypt and Mercosur. At the opening of the meeting, Chohfi recalled the presence of Egyptian oranges in Brazil. The citrus fruits are among the Egyptian products that have become well-known to Brazilian consumers following the agreement.
Women’s meeting
In the meeting with the representatives of WAHI and Brazilian executives and businesswomen, the main focus was on the need for closer ties between women in business from Brazil and Egypt. The WAHI’s concept was also introduced, and ideas were presented to foster female cooperation. Alessandra Frisso, chairwoman of the committee and a director at the ABCC, said women are already present in international trade, but it is necessary to expand their presence and give them more visibility.
Besides Frisso, the committee’s members Claudia Yazigi Haddad and Silvia Antibas also participated. Yazigi is also a board member at the ABCC, and Antibas is its vice president of communications and marketing. Also part of the meeting were Baltazar and Institutional Relations Analyst Elaine Prates. The meeting was also attended by Paula Chaccur from CGM Advogados, Renata Serapião from CGM Advogados, Vera Suplicy from Suplicy Trading, Karina Lengler from Lengler Lawyers, and Diva Nascimento from SGS. They presented their businesses to the ambassador and the consul.
At the meeting with the leaders of the ABCC, in addition to Chohfi and Mourad, the following were present: Vice President of Administration, Daniel Hannun; Vice President of Foreign Trade, William Adib Dib Júnior; and Treasurer, Nahid Chicani. Also present were Antibas, Yazigi, and Frisso, along with members of the institution’s staff, such as Institutional Relations Advisor Bassel Abou Latif, and the of Corporate and Institutional Services Coordinator Ana Cristina Oliveira. In São Paulo, the ambassador will have meetings with representatives from both the public and private sectors until Wednesday (4), in a scheduled supported by the ABCC.
Mai Taha Khalil
Ambassador Mai Taha Khalil holds a degree in Political Science from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University and in Diplomatic Studies from Egypt’s Institute of Diplomatic Studies. Before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Khalil worked as a journalist for Al-Ahram Aliktisadi, Egypt’s leading economic magazine. Currently, in addition to serving as the ambassador to Brazil in Brasília, she is also Egypt’s non-resident ambassador to Guyana and Suriname.
In diplomacy, Khalil’s experience is extensive. She served in Cyprus, Uganda, Japan, and at the United Nations. She also held various positions at Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Director of the Palestine Affairs Department, when she was appointed National Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza. The ambassador has led Egypt’s delegations at numerous international and regional forums on peacekeeping and human rights, particularly women’s rights, and was the first woman to preside over a meeting at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
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