São Paulo – The General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture will celebrate its 60th anniversary next Monday (12th). The celebration will be held in Beirut, Lebanon, and will be attended by members of Arab chambers of commerce in several countries. The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce will be represented by its president, Salim Schahin, its CEO, Michel Alaby, and the vice president of International Relations, Helmi Nasr.
The three should travel to Lebanon on Friday (9). In Beirut, the Arab chambers’ representatives will be received by the Lebanese president Michel Suleiman. During a cocktail party for approximately 500 people, including guests of the chambers, Lebanese government officials and private sector representatives, there will be an Arab folk show, addresses and homages.
“The 60 years of the General Union are a landmark in the history of trade, thanks to its profile of seeking to develop business opportunities between Arab countries and other nations,” says Alaby. The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce was recognized by the General Union in November 1992. It has since hosted two General Union meetings, the latest of which took place in 2000.
The General Union comprises more than 50 different Arab chambers. During these 60 years, the Chamber organized events to boost the productivity of Arab companies in worldwide trade, created conditions for economic information to be exchanged between different countries, chambers of commerce, and enterprises, as a means of increasing commerce between its member nations.
In an article written for the General Union’s magazine, Alaby and Schahin remember that the organization was among the leading supporters of the establishment of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area, 40 years ago. They also mention that in 2012 the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce will celebrate its own 60th anniversary, and invite the General Union to hold its next meeting in Brazil. Schahin claims that the General Union plays an important role in promoting exchange between the Arab countries and confirmed: “One of the reasons I am attending is that we would like the General Union to conduct its next meeting, due this year, in Brazil.”
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
