São Paulo – Index, a trade fair for the furniture and decoration items sector held late November in Dubai, should generate US$ 5.9 million in business deals to the Brazilian companies that participated. This is the expectation of the Brazilian Furniture Industry Association (Abimóvel), which took 23 companies to the event, in partnership with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex).
During the fair, the companies closed deals worth US$ 838,500 with importers from Algeria, India, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. On the first day of the event, company Cristais São Marcos sold all the items it had on display to a Saudi buyer.
According to the company’s export manager, Regina Apud, the buyer was charmed by the items and stated that he intends to put together a store. The order included the 75 items that Cristais São Marcos took to the fair, ranging from vases to table ware. The company also received an order from Kuwait, for vases, table centres and sculptures. “We have returned with our spirits up. We have plans of setting up a showroom in Dubai,” said Regina.
Cristais São Marcos already has some clients in the Arab market, in countries such as the Emirates and Bahrain. The company exports roughly 15% of its output, mostly to Latin America and Europe. The manager also made promising contacts at the Index with buyers from the Emirates, Lebanon, Iran, Saudi Arabia, India, among others. “The Arab market has lots of potential. They enjoy our items, our colours and they are fond of Brazilian people,” added Regina.
According to the executive manager of the Brazilian High-End Furniture Manufacturers Association (Abimad), Patrícia Linhares de Souza, companies in general were very pleased with the fair. Moval, a manufacturer of bedroom furniture, closed the sale of two containers of products at the event.
Another company that had an order placed was Saccaro, from the state of Rio Grande do Sul. “We left the fair with a very good contact in Saudi Arabia. He confirmed a fairly large order but has not closed it yet. We are waiting,” said the company’s export manager, Gustavo Scola.
According to him, the objective, in participating in the fair, was to break into new markets in the Middle East. The company already has clients in Lebanon and Egypt, and made prospective contacts with importers from the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. “We received lots of visits, more than we were expecting,” added the manager.
The Brazilian participants occupied an area of 897 square metres and showcased bedroom, living room and dining room furniture, and decorative objects. The majority of participants have already attended the fair in previous years. Brazilian furniture and decoration industry exports to the Middle East in the first half of the year totalled US$ 1.44 million.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
