São Paulo – Getting to know the Arab countries, their history, economy, and prospects for the future was part of the agenda of Brazilian businesspeople who took part in the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) mission to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar this week. They made exclusive guided visits to the pavilions of Arab countries at Expo 2020 Dubai, a universal exhibition taking place in the emirate and in which 191 countries are participating with spaces to showcase their best. Pictured above, part of the delegation in the Kuwait pavilion.
The Brazilian mission had 11 companies and a schedule in the UAE from last Sunday (31) to Wednesday (2). In Qatar, the group stayed from Thursday (3) to Friday (5). At Expo 2020, the pavilions of Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, and Bahrain were visited. The New Business director of the ABCC, Daniella Leite, reported all the visited pavilions displayed the country’s history, economy, main sectors, and projections for the future.
The International Business consultant of the ABCC, Karen Mizuta, who, like Leite, accompanied the mission, claims each Arab pavilion they visited presented something unusual. She highlights the investment promotion agenda shown by Kuwait in its space and the design of the furniture in the Bahrain pavilion, signed by architects from the country and available for sale to the public.
Expo 2020 is not a trade show focused solely on business. Still, the mission’s organization signaled to those responsible for the pavilions the group would like to learn about opportunities in the countries. The visits were aimed at business, and the group should soon receive contacts from the government sectors responsible for the area and investment promotion in each country. “They established bonds, showed our interest in the country and we were very well received in all the pavilions; there is a genuine interest in networking, contacting, and exchanging information,” said Leite.
In addition to visits to the Expo 2020 pavilions, the mission’s schedule in the UAE included training sessions and meetings with local players. The group had training on the markets with the Atton Institute, which offers professional training in innovation; the ADG Legal office, from the legal area; and the Pan Arab Research Center, specialized in research; in addition to getting to know the Madar Farms technological farm, and having meetings in the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) and Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZA).
The New Business director of the ABCC claims the mission was a first step towards building a strategic plan for the internationalization of companies. “Networking is crucial; having contact with the right people and bodies is very important, which the ABCC has provided to companies,” stated Leite. At the meetings, the entrepreneurs received information about the markets, certificates, local distribution, profit managing, taxation, free zones, among other subjects.
Read more about the mission:
- In Dubai, Brazilian companies are ready to export
- Mission visits container farm in Abu Dhabi
- Food, agribusiness firms prospecting business in Dubai
- Arab Brazilian Chamber to take companies to UAE, Qatar
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
