São Paulo – A lecture cycle next Tuesday (12) at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce will provide information to Brazilian businesspeople about Arab consumers and their habits. There will be three presentations on the topic, and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be entered into by the Arab Chamber and SP Negócios, the investment and export promotion agency of the municipality of São Paulo.
The event begins with accreditation at 8:30am, after which the MoU will be signed. At 9:30am, research firm H2R Pesquisas’ commercial director Alessandra Frisso will deliver the lecture “Getting to know the Arab consumer.” H2R, which is rising to prominence in Brazil as a company specialized in the Arab world, has done several surveys on the subject over the last few years.
Another lecture will be “Consumption habits in the Arab world,” with Euromonitor MENA strategic intelligence consultant Kinda Chebib. “She will enable us to figure out what the Arab consumer is looking for. What the Arab consumer is looking to put on their plate, what the Arab consumer is looking for in their day-to-day, what the Arab consumer is looking for in their leisure,” said Arab Chamber secretary-general Tamer Mansour.
The third lecture of the day will be “How to decipher Arab retail,” with Minerva Foods export manager Janaína Azevedo, who’ll discuss the company’s experience with Arab consumers. One of Brazil’s leading beef exporters, Minerva sells much of its output on the Arab market. Azevedo will recount her background in negotiations, visits to retailers and interactions with Arab buyers.
Mansour claims the event is part of a strategy to elevate Brazil’s relations with the Arab world to another realm. The secretary-general points out that the country is developing ever-closer ties with the Arab world, whose markets accounted for much of Brazil’s foreign trade from January to October. During this time, Brazil’s exports to the region climbed 10.75%, while those to the whole world slid 7%.
“It is of the utmost importance today for businesses to realize that these relations are growing. It can triple or quadruple if we learn about these consumers, who ultimately have the power to decide on their purchases,” says Mansour. The secretary-general believes that moving relations forward entails selling more finished goods to Arab countries. “When we talk about the consumer, we are no longer talking about Brazilian-Arab relations in terms of raw materials. We’re talking about selling added value, selling finished products that get in the hands of buyers as ‘Made in Brazil,’” says Mansour.
The lecture cycle “Consumer habits in the Arab world: competitiveness in retail and how to add value to your brand” is free of charge and intended for Arab Chamber member companies. Other parties looking to attend can get in touch with the Chamber to check for availability. The lectures will be followed by a Q&A session.
The MoU between the Chamber and SP Negócios is designed to enhance the partnership between the organizations. It will be signed by presidents Rubens Hannun, of the Arab Chamber, and Juan Quirós, of SP Negócios. The MoU is expected to lead to tandem work in promoting investment and partnerships between Arab and Brazilian enterprises.
Quick facts
Lecture Cycle “Consumer habits in the Arab world: competitiveness in retail and how to add value to your brand”
Tuesday, Oct 12, 2019, 8:30am
Arab Chamber Auditorium
Avenida Paulista, 283 – 11th floor
Find out more: +55 11 3145 3200 or members@ccab.org.br
Click here to register
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
