Abu Dhabi – The emir of Dubai, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is visiting Brazil next April. Maktoum, who is also the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, will be in the federal capital Brasília. A visit to Rio de Janeiro is also on the schedule. During a meeting this Monday (24th), in Abu Dhabi, the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce CEO, Michel Alaby, suggested to the Emirati Foreign Affairs minister, Anwar Gargash, that the emir should also pay a visit to São Paulo. “That is where many of the business opportunities are,” said Alaby.
Maktoum should be in Brazil on April 22nd and 23rd, before heading on to neighbouring South American countries. Last Sunday, ANBA reported that the Emirates are planning on boosting trade with South American and African countries, according to the Foreign Trade undersecretary to the Emirati Ministry of Economy, Abdullah Ahmad Al Saleh.
The agenda for Maktoum’s visit is not entirely set yet, but according to Alaby, he should focus on furthering commercial and political ties. Alaby said he plans on taking advantage of the open-ended nature of the trip to include a trip to São Paulo, so the ruler can meet with local businessmen. In November 2013, Maktoum received the Brazilian vice president Michel Temer in Dubai. On the occasion, they had already discussed increasing bilateral trade.
The meeting with the minister of Foreign Affairs was also attended by the Arab Brazilian Chamber Institutional Relations director, Silvio Abdalla, the director for the Gulf, Mohamed Abdouni, and the Brazilian ambassador in the Emirates, João de Mendonça Lima Neto.
In addition to discussing Maktoum’s visit to Brazil, Alaby and Gargash discussed minimizing the paperwork required in the Emirates for business visa issuance, and the creation of a business council comprising entrepreneurs from both countries in a bid to boost bilateral trade. According to Gargash, Brazil has the potential to increase its exports not only to the Emirates, but to all Gulf countries by opening franchise-style stores in the region.
“The people here are excited about opening franchises throughout the Gulf. Brazil is a very large country and it boasts experience in this type of deal,” he said. The Brazilian flip-flop brand Havaianas is one of a few which own stores in the Emirates, and was cited by the minister as a case in point.
Mission
Also on Monday, the Arab Brazilian Chamber delegates met with the director general of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mohamed Al Muhairi. He should pay a visit to Brazil in September alongside a business mission.
Muhairi and Alaby discussed exchange among professionals from the two chambers of commerce. The Brazilian proposed for technicians from each of the organization to spend one month at the other’s headquarters. The Abu Dhabi Chamber counts on 95,000 member companies. In order to operate in Abu Dhabi, industrial or commercial enterprises are required to become members of the local Chamber.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
