Isaura Daniel*
isaura.daniel@anba.com.br
São Paulo – The emirate of Dubai may have an office turned to tourism in Brazil after the inauguration of a flight by Emirates Airlines, the airline of the United Arab Emirates, to the southeastern Brazilian state of São Paulo. The information was supplied to the delegation of Brazilian construction sector businessmen, currently in the Arab country, by the head of the Missions section at the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Ahmed Othaman Bilal.
He received the Brazilians yesterday (4), in Dubai, along with the assistant director in the field, Abudllah bin Suwaidan, according to the secretary general at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, who accompanies the delegation. Emirates Airlines will begin operating flights between the cities of São Paulo and Dubai beginning in October. According to Alaby, the office should have as one of its focuses the attraction of tourists and investment into the emirate.
According to the secretary general at the Arab Brazilian Chamber, the establishment of an office is important, since the travel flow between Brazil and the United Arab Emirates should increase a lot after the inauguration of the flight. "In addition to taking Brazilians to the Emirates, the flight will also be a gateway to Asia, to countries such as Japan, China, Korea, and India," Alaby recalled.
According to the secretary general at the Arab Brazilian Chamber, representatives of the Department and also of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry manifested their intention of promoting a mission to São Paulo, also after the Emirates flight starts operating. The Brazilian delegation visited the head office of the Chamber in the afternoon.
The group of Brazilians includes 25 businessmen from real estate developers and construction companies, financial agents, real estate agencies, and lawyers who work in the sector. The mission was organised by the Brazilian branch of the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI/Brasil), with support from the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. The group arrived in the Arab country on Sunday, where it will remain until next Saturday (8) to get acquainted with major local real estate projects.
Also yesterday, part of the group was received by the CEO at the HSBC bank in the Gulf region, Youssef Nasr. The executive talked to the businessmen about the behaviour of investment in the region. Nasr shared some of the history of the emirate of Dubai, and of its transformation into a centre of excellence in services and tourism. According to him, the United Arab Emirates are now an investment environment that presents almost zero risk.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
