Rio de Janeiro – The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, met yesterday (12) at City Palace, the seat of the city administration, with the Ambassadors of Arab countries to Brazil. At the meeting he proposed the organisation of a trade delegation to the Arab countries, in partnership with the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan). "We have many characteristics in common. We are developing nations," said the mayor.
The visit by the ambassadors to Rio de Janeiro has as its objectives improving trade and cultural ties among the Brazilian state and the Arab countries. "We would like you to help generate interest of businessmen here to travel and to learn about the potential of our region," said the dean of the ambassadors, Waleed Al Kandari, who is also the ambassador of Kuwait.
According to the mayor, a trade delegation to the Middle East should also help promote Rio de Janeiro to win votes in the campaign to host the 2016 Olympics. "It is a good opportunity to market the city," stated Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce president Salim Schahin, who placed the organisation at the disposal of the mayor to help in the organisation of a delegation.
Al Kandari also told the mayor that it is necessary to diversify the export basket to both regions. He mentioned, for example, that the main Brazilian products exported to the Arab countries are foods, like beef and chicken. "Trade exchange is still very limited," he said. However, Schahin added that bilateral trade between Brazil and the Arab countries doubled over the last five years, reaching US$ 21 billion.
Arab ambassadors also spoke to the mayor about the promotion of activities to boost tourism between their countries and Rio de Janeiro. The ambassador of Egypt, Ahmed Darwish, for example, suggested an exhibition showing his country in the state. The Tunisian ambassador, Seifeddine Cherif, spoke about promoting his country as the theme of a samba school during the Carnaval parades in Rio and taking one to parade at Tunisian festivals. The creation of flights between Arab capitals and Rio de Janeiro were also discussed.
Opportunities in Rio
To learn more about investment opportunities in Rio de Janeiro, the ambassadors visited Firjan. At the organisation, they met vice president Carlos Fernando Gross, and the director of the International Business Centre at Firjan, Amaury Temporal, among other representatives.
According to the presentation by the infrastructure and new investment manager at Firjan, Cristiano Prado, the city of Rio de Janeiro has many opportunities for investment in infrastructure projects. With a population of 16 million people and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$ 126.5 billion, which represents 11.6% of the Brazilian GDP, the state offers opportunities for the construction of ports, airports and highways.
Forecasted investment in the state up to 2010 is of around US$ 51 billion, being US$ 13.5 billion in infrastructure. "Rio de Janeiro is a land of investment opportunities," said Prado.
Representatives of some companies in Rio de Janeiro, like Vale, Odebrecht, Condor and Queiroz Galvão also participated in the meeting. They all already have business with the Arab world.
*Translated by Mark Ament
