São Paulo – Coffee, cacao, emeralds and marble from Brazil are some of the products that are part of the business expansion plan of the free zone Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) with the country. In his fourth visit to Brazil, coffee was the focus of the mission of CEO Ahmed bin Sulayem (pictured above). The visits to companies and farms, he said, have already boosted green coffee shipments from Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. Until the end of the week, he’ll be in São Paulo for a series of business appointments.
“[The trip to Espírito Santos and Minas Gerais] was fruitful, and companies will ship more green coffee for the DMCC to process and distribute. We’re just beginning with Brazilian coffee, and as I said, it’s not just Dubai’s coffee center, it’s a coffee center to connect with the rest of the world. This is a strong commitment and a great responsibility, but we’re up to the challenge, and our members from Africa and elsewhere that buy from and even supply and ship coffee to Brazil are highly competitive. The market hasn’t stopped; it’s changing and diversifying. We have dip coffee and other innovative products. We’re in a good place regarding coffee,” Sulayem told ANBA.
Last year Sulayem visited cacao farms in the region of Ilhéus, Bahia, and Bahia’s governor Rui Costa visited the DMCC. The CEO plans on opening a cacao center soon, prioritizing the Brazilian product. “I’m learning more about the cacao industry here, from the planting to the processing and products, and hopefully we’ll have a cacao center that fits the Brazilian standards,” Sulayem said.
In Espírito Santo, Sulayem also visited a marble and quartz company, and he said he has sent pictures to his development team and construction companies to use the Brazilian products in DMCC’s property expansion. “We’re expanding, and some projects will feature high-quality marble, and we’ll surely buy some from Brazil. I mean, if China is buying marble from Brazil, it’s a good sign,” he said.
Here’s more on this:
- Brazil’s Bahia to export cacao to UAE
- Dubai’s free zone DMCC conducting mission to Brazil
- Arab Brazilian Chamber signs agreement with DMCC free zone
Sulayem told ANBA he was invited to visit an emerald mine of the Belmont Group in Minas Gerais, and that this will be a destination in his next visit to Brazil. He said he knows emeralds from Colombia, which exports them to the DMCC in Dubai.
Seminar
On Tuesday (12), the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) held an event for companies interested in exporting and going international to learn more about the services offered by DMCC. ABCC International Relations vice president Mohamad Mourad opened the seminar “Dubai – Your gateway for global trade.” He talked about the relevance of Brazil-UAE relations and invited the businesspeople to see the 22 Arab countries as a bloc accounting for over 400 million people and potential buyers.
Then DMCC CEO Ahmed bin Sulayem spoke. He talked about different businesses in DMCC, with its diamond, coffee, tea, gold, agricultural and cryptocurrency centers. He believes that when there’s competition, the quality of products goes up.
The event featured Investe SP Communications general manager Julia Saluh, DMCC representative for the Americas and Oceania Mohammed Mohammed, and São Paulo International Relations executive secretary Affonso Massot. DP World senior advisor Ronaldo Souza talked about the World Logistics Passport (WLP).
The UAE general consul in São Paulo, Ibrahim Alalawi, talked remotely about the importance of the Brazilian delegations to Expo 2020 Dubai, which welcome 20 million visitors over six months.
The panel “Meet the Experts – Expand your business in Dubai and beyond” featured ABCC CEO Tamer Mansour, DMCC Commodities and Financial Services executive director Sanjeev Dutta, açaí company Tropicool global head Rafael Prado, and Espírito Santo’s cooperative Cooabriel Exports and Sustainability manager Renata Vaz. Mansour said Dubai was an example of renewal in life and the economy, and that the economic ties between Brazil and the UAE are on the rise.
The DMCC’s roadshow through Brazil included meetings with authorities and businesspeople as well as seminars and visits to companies in Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and São Paulo. The DMCC’s mission to Brazil is held in partnership with the Industry Federation of the State of Espírito Santo (FINDES), the Industry Federation of the State of Minas Gerais (FIEMG), the government of Espírito Santo, certifier Cdial Halal, and São Paulo’s Agency for the Promotion of Investments and Competitiveness (Investe SP), as well as the ABCC.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
