São Paulo – The 12th Embassies Fair will happen on Saturday (12) in Brasília, featuring 13 Arab diplomatic offices and a total of 100-plus nations. Fairgoers will be able to sample the cuisine and buy typical products from the Middle East and North Africa.
The fair will feature stands from Algeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Lebanon, Kuwait, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq and Sudan. “They [the embassies] are bringing in typical foods that are very rich, from Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait and Iraq. Arab cuisine is widespread in Brazil. Artisans from Egypt, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia will be there too. It will be beautiful,” says Sanaa Sayah, the Lebanese ambassador’s wife and chair of the mission chief wives’ group (Grupo de Cônjuges de Chefes de Missões – GCCM) which organizes the fair.
Items on sale will include tablecloths, copper adornments, pictures and precious stones. “We have product straight from Lebanon, and Jordan will be offering Dead Sea [cosmetics] that are great for beauty. There is going to be a lot of good stuff that Brazilians like to see,” Sayah points out.
The ambassador’s wife adds that one of the event’s sponsors, the Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil (Fambras), will distribute books on Islam at its stand. The fair is paid for by the embassies, with support from partner organizations.
The proceeds from sales at the fair will be donated to 20 different charities. According to Sayah, last year saw roughly BRL 550,000 be raised (approximately USD 167,000). “Our goal is to double that amount this year,” she says. Visitor numbers is also poised to increase, from 35,000 in 2015 to 50,000 this year, Sayah adds.
Besides the food and typical goods, there will be performances showcasing the culture of Angola, Mexico, Bangladesh, Ukraine and the United States, among other countries. Brazil’s Zam Zam group will be representing Lebanon with a belly dance performance.
Quick facts
12th Embassies Fair
November 12, 10 am to 10 pm
Expobrasília – Parque da Cidade
Rua Parque da Cidade no number– Brasília
Adults – BRL 10 + 1 kg of food; Children aged 5 to 12 – BRL 5
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
