São Paulo – A Brazilian entrepreneur who owns properties in the United Arab Emirates will share his experience through a mission to Dubai in May this year. Bruno Leal, one of the founders and former Chief Sales Officer (CSO) of Mercafacil, will take Brazilian investors to explore opportunities in the emirate’s real estate market in a project called Expedição Dubai.
According to promotional material, the trip is aimed at those seeking to diversify their assets and dollarize their capital. The proposal is to explore the emirate’s real estate market in depth, understanding legal security, returns, taxation, and real investment opportunities in Dubai through a program featuring strategic content, site visits, and networking.
The project’s distinguishing feature is that it is a personal initiative by Leal, who owns four properties in the UAE. “I started studying the real estate market, was fascinated by everything I saw, and began investing heavily with my own capital,” Leal told ANBA.
Leal left Mercafacil, a leading Brazilian CRM company focused on the supermarket industry, in January last year after selling his stake in 2023, and went on to create other businesses. He is currently the owner of Bluewave Properties, a wealth management firm; Bluewave Xtrade, which exports food, beverages, and commodities to Arab countries; and Bluewave Capital (BWC), focused on financial and tax intelligence. He is also in the process of forming Bluewave Global Group as the holding company for these businesses.
His personal habit of recommending investments to friends whenever he made a good acquisition eventually also led him into the real estate sector—Leal is considering turning the expedition into a company. “I’ve always wanted to help people prosper in some way, and when I see good opportunities, I end up sharing them with friends and acquaintances. In the building where I bought an apartment—it was a great opportunity—I brought 10 friends to buy as well,” he says about one of the investments.
When he posted on social media about his last trip to Dubai, he received many questions from people interested in real estate. “I thought, ‘Well, if there’s interest, instead of answering one by one, why not organize an expedition to Dubai, bringing together the whole ecosystem of people who help me in the emirate—real estate agents, developers, lawyers—and create a seven-day immersion to help those interested in exploring Dubai’s market? That way, they can draw their own conclusions,’” he explains.
The Dubai Expedition project was organized with the support of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), of which Leal’s company Bluewave Xtrade is a member. The expedition is aimed at individuals. “We’re going to give a complete A-to-Z overview so that someone who knows nothing can come out understanding everything about Dubai’s real estate market, and if they’re interested in the properties they see there, they can make an investment decision and be very happy with it,” says Leal.
The Dubai program will include lectures, technical visits to developers’ showrooms, and meetings with various specialists and authorities. Scheduled activities include visits to developers like Emaar and Aldar, the Dubai Land Department, law firms, banking brokers, and real estate agents. The itinerary also features experiential activities such as a desert dinner, driving a Formula 3 car, and a yacht tour, among others.
According to the information released, participants must have a genuine interest in making acquisitions abroad, with a minimum of BRL 500,000 to invest over three years. Leal says Dubai has properties starting at this value. The expedition has a limited number of spots—maximum 35 people—and some places are already filled. The program will take place from May 3 to 9, 2026, with departure from Brazil on May 1. Welcome Trips agency handles accommodations and flights.
Who is Bruno Leal
Of Syrian and Lebanese descent and born in Curitiba, Brazil, Bruno Leal built his wealth from scratch. He studied Civil Engineering for two years at the Federal University of Paraná but did not graduate and moved to Australia, where he lived for nearly five years. There, he worked in a variety of jobs, from washing dishes to construction, security, and door-to-door sales.
Upon returning to Brazil, he co-founded a tech startup, Mercafacil, which grew to become a major player in the supermarket sector, serving large companies with around 2,500 clients and 7,000 stores. After 13 years at the company he helped build, Leal decided to sell his stake and venture into other sectors, founding new businesses.
One of the businesses he created, Bluewave Xtrade, targets the Arab market. Having built a network of suppliers of food, beverages, and supermarket commodities while at Mercafacil, Leal decided to explore exporting these products to Arab countries. The company is also registered in Sharjah, UAE.
Quick facts:
Dubai Expedition – Real Estate Investments
May 3–9, 2026
For Brazilian investors
More information and registration on the website
Read more:
UAE: New strategic hub for investments
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
