São Paulo – Next Thursday (4/12), in Brasília, the Brazil-Arab Countries Economic Forum, should take place, aimed at generating closer ties between Brazilian companies and the Arab world. The meeting is turned to companies and executives and enrolment is open (further information below). The initiative is by the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brazil, the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and the National Confederation of Industries (CNI), and is part of the Arab Week, which will include a series of other events.
According to the Government Relations executive at the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Tamer Mansour, at the end of the meeting there should be suggestions, on the side of participants, as to how to simplify the trade flow between Arab countries and Brazil. The forum, to take place from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm, should discuss barriers to trade, investment and tourism.
The opening of the forum should be by the president at CNI, Robson Braga de Andrade, by Arab Brazilian Chamber president Marcelo Nabih Sallum, the ambassador of Palestine and dean of the Council of Arab Ambassadors, Ibrahim Alzeben, and the joint secretary general of the League of Arab States, Mohamed Sobeih. The talks should take place at the CNI auditorium.
The first panel of the day will be about foreign trade and how to increase the trade flow between Brazil and the Arab nations. The objective is to analyse the main obstacles to access to the Arab market and to discuss forms to promote the development of trade exchange. The speakers will be Rada Saleh, of Friboi group, and the president of the Brazilian Poultry Union, Francisco Turra, and proceedings will be presided by the ambassador of Egypt, Hossameldin Mohamed Ibrahim Zaki, with moderation by Arab Brazilian Chamber CEO Michel Alaby.
The second panel will be about investment and will include talks by the director general at Embraport, Michael Martins da Silva, and by Ricardo Portolan, from Marcopolo. Moderation will be by the lawyer and professor of the Law School of Getúlio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo, Rabih Nasser, and proceedings will also be presided by Zaki. The third and last panel will be about tourism and will include a talk by Renato Hagopia, from Qatar Airways, with moderation by the Administrative vice president at the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Adel Auada, and proceedings presided by Zaki.
In the evening, the Council of Ambassadors will honour vice president Michel Temer. On inauguration in the post, Temer was asked, by president Dilma Rousseff, to take care of relations between Brazil and the Arab countries, and he has been working on his mission, with promotion of delegations to the Arab world. He has also met with Arab leaders who visit the country.
Brazil-Arab Countries Economic Fourm
Wednesday, December 4th, 2013
From 9:00 am to 2:30 pm. Admittance is free
Auditorium–S1 – Head offices of the CNI – Setor Bancário Norte – Quadra 1 – Bloco C – Brasília – DF
Further information: (+55 61) 3317-8839 – mqmoura@cni.org.br
Enrolment: http://www.ccab.org.br/arabe-brasil/br/home/eventos/forum-economico-brasil-paises-arabes.fss
*Translated by Mark Ament
