Erbil, Iraq – Exhibitors at the Brazilian pavilion in the Erbil International Fair, in Iraq, include two medical and hospital companies with operations in the Arab world: Fanem and Magnamed, both based in São Paulo. “Iraq is a good, but difficult market,” said Fanem’s regional manager for the Middle East, Abed Mihyar, this Tuesday (24th), the second day of the fair.
It is a good market because there is a strong demand for hospital items, and yet it is difficult due to the insecurity which plagues the country, getting in the way of post-sales work. “These are products that require assistance, but the situation in Iraq does not allow us to do things right. We do it, but not the way we would like to,” said Mihyar.
Fanem already sells to Iraq. The products on show at the booth, for instance, were brought in by the company’s distributor in Erbil, Ehsan Taj, and Fanem even has an inventory for prompt delivery in Baghdad. “If we have no product for prompt delivery, we don’t stand a chance of doing business here,” said the manager, who has an office in neighbouring country Jordan.
Magnamed, in turn, does not sell to Iraq yet, but the company’s representative for Arab countries, the Syrian-born, Lebanon-based Adnan Abaji says there is a demand. “There are several hospitals in Erbil,” he said regarding the capital of the Kurdistan region, in Northern Iraq.
To Mihyar, Erbil has become the best place in Iraq to do business in, because the autonomous region of Kurdistan enjoys the stability and the safety that are lacking in other areas of the country. “Furthermore, demand is rising and the [local] budget is improving. It is easy to visit the cities and their hospitals,” he said.
Both of them believe, however, that considering the line of work of their companies, it would be better to exhibit at a dedicated healthcare fair attended by industry specialists. The Erbil International Fair is multisectorial, and the two enterprises are sharing space at the Brazilian stand with exhibitors in other industries.
Calls for tender
One of the main interests of Brazilian companies is government tenders for purchasing hospital equipment. “We do business with the private sector, but the truly large orders are government orders,” said Mihyar.
Magnamed has recently won a tender in Tunisia to supply 250,000 breathing apparatuses in 2013 and 2014. “Similar opportunities might exist here, but we need an agent in order to better ascertain it,” said Abaji.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
