Isaura Daniel, special envoy*
isaura.daniel@anba.com.br
Kuwait City – The government of Kuwait is going to invest US$ 15 billion in public works in the next seven to ten years, and Brazilian companies might have a share of that amount. The Brazilian delegation that visited the country yesterday (20), as part of a mission to the Gulf, promoted by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, received information about the projects at the seat of the Ministry of Public Works, in Kuwait City, the capital of the Arab country.
According to the undersecretary for Road Engineering at the Ministry, Hanadi Al-Wohaib, Kuwait is open to suppliers from all countries, including Brazil. However, in order to enter the projects as a supplier, a business partner in the Arab country is required. In the case of builders, pre-approval is necessary. To that extent, according to Hanadi, Brazilian companies should seek their embassy. In the latter case, the local partner can be obtained after pre-approval.
Government projects to be implemented include construction of an airport with capacity for 20 million passengers per year, 200 schools and hospitals, and two islands, one of which should be named Bubyan and cost US$ 1 billion. Most of the projects, according to Hanadi, are being elaborated or designed. Such is the case, for instance, with the new airport. The Brazilian businessmen on the mission were impressed with the size of the projects.
The officials at the Ministry recommended that Brazilians seek Kuwaiti companies that are suppliers to the construction sector, so as to present their products and establish partnerships. "That might be a start," said the undersecretary for Construction Projects at the Ministry, Husam Bader Al-Tahous, regarding the possibility of Brazilian companies taking part in construction works in Kuwait. According to him, Kuwait is currently in need of both services and products in the construction sector. Brazilian industry products, Al-Tahous explained, are not widely known in Kuwait.
During the meeting, the secretary-general at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, gave information to the Ministry representatives about the potential of the Brazilian civil construction industry. The Brazilian businessmen also had an opportunity to talk to the officials about their companies. A total of 19 companies and organisations from Brazil comprise the mission to the Gulf. They operate in fields such as marbles and granites, irrigation systems, electric wires and cables, glass for construction, gypsum, and tools.
Yesterday was the first day of activities for the mission to the Gulf, which should remain in the region until the 30th of the current month. Today, the Brazilians will be in Doha, Qatar, where they will attend a seminar and meetings with Qatari businessmen, and get to know the local construction market. The last country to be visited by the mission is the United Arab Emirates.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
