São Paulo – Brazilian companies interested in showcasing their products and services in construction, energy and technology in Lebanon may prepare for Project Lebanon, an international trade show that will be held in Beirut from May 31st to June 3rd, 2011. The presence at the event is the first activity promoted by the Commercial Sector of the Brazilian embassy in Beirut (Secom-Beirut) after it was reopened, in May this year.
“I believe that Brazilian companies need to take advantage of Lebanon’s economic growth, which is now at a rate of 7% [per year], and the even greater growth of civil construction,” said the head of Secom-Beirut, Rodolfo Sahium Ribeiro, who visited the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce headquarters, in São Paulo, this Wednesday (8th), where he was received by director Mustapha Abdouni.
According to information supplied by the Lebanese ifp Group, which organizes Project Lebanon, property sales in the country have grown by more than 100% in the first half of 2010 compared with the same period of 2009, whereas permits for new buildings have totalled 8.4 million square metres. Evidence of the industry’s growth is the fact that cement consumption has risen by 10% using the same basis of comparison.
According to Ribeiro, there are great opportunities for Brazilian companies in infrastructure, transport, project management and new environmental technologies. The secretary at the embassy highlighted that Lebanon has gone through a civil war, and now it is experiencing a construction boom.
The year of 2011 will see the 16th edition of Project Lebanon, which received 444 exhibitors from 25 different countries this year. The fair was attended by more than 20,000 visitors from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The Brazilian pavilion will have 10 stands with 9 square metres each. Interested companies may contact Conceito Brazil, which represents the ifp Group in the country. In addition to the embassy, the event counts on support from the Arab Brazilian Chamber.
According to Ribeiro, in addition to promoting fairs and events, the Secom operates with commercial consultations and organizes business meetings and seminars in order to bring Lebanese and Brazilian entrepreneurs closer together. At the embassy, there is also an economic sector, which is currently working on the possibility of a free trade agreement between Lebanon and the Mercosur and on creation of a direct flight between the two countries. Ribeiro also claimed that the embassy is looking into attending a tourism industry fair in Lebanon in the second half of 2011.
Contact
Secom-Beirut
Email: secom.beirute@braziltradenet.gov.br
Conceito Brazil
Camila Vieira
Tel. +55 11 3527-5000
Email: cvieira@conceitobrazil.com.br
Site: www.conceitobrazil.com.br
