São Paulo – The new ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Brazil, Faisal Ibrahim Ghulam, traveled to São Paulo this Friday (21) and visited the headquarters of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) on Avenida Paulista. The diplomat has been in Brasilia since November 2022, and this was his first visit to the entity. Ghulam is in his second post as ambassador.
Before Brasília, Ghulam was the Saudi ambassador to Finland. “I see it as a good change,” said Ghulam about the new post to ANBA. “I’m here to strengthen the bilateral ties, which have many aspects; political, economic, social, and cultural. So, as an ambassador, I want to work on these three fronts simultaneously and in parallel to support these areas and have a balanced improvement in the relationship between the two countries,” he said.
For the ambassador, the relationship between the countries is sound. “This year marks the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Saudi Arabia. The economic relationship is also solid; Saudi Arabia is the leading Arab country in terms of imports to Brazil and second in terms of exports from Brazil,” he said.
Brazil exported USD 2.91 billion to Saudi Arabia in 2022. Among Arab nations, the Saudis were second only to the United Arab Emirates, which purchased USD 3.2 billion. The main products shipped to the country were poultry protein, sugar, maize, soybean, wheat, and beef.
In imports to Brazil, Saudi Arabia ranks first among the Arabs, with USD 5.3 billion in 2022. The main products purchased by the South American country were oil and fertilizers.
Culture and tourism
In the cultural sphere, Ghulam wants Brazilians to get to know Saudi Arabia and the Saudis to get to know Brazil better. “And not something occasional, like a sporting event, but more constant. Ambassadors, in general, work as a bridge between countries; for that, we can carry out visits, events, and form think tanks,” he said.
The diplomat knows distance weighs on Brazilian tourism to Saudi Arabia. He hopes there will soon be a nonstop flight between São Paulo and Riyadh on a Saudi airline.
The initiatives of the Vision 2030 project to diversify the economy beyond oil opened the Arab country’s doors to tourism and phased out rules regarding women and foreigners.
“We are a young nation; 70% of the population is between 25 and 35 years old. Life is not static, it is constantly evolving, and I believe the country’s openness is a part of that. We’re sticking to our principles; that hasn’t changed, but now we see more women driving and being part of the workforce. We have always been hospitable, and foreigners are well-received when they visit; they feel it. The perception is now changing,” he said.
The ambassador still doesn’t know many places in Brazil, but he said he enjoyed the Iguaçu Falls and intends to return there. His favorite Brazilian dish is moqueca, and what he misses most is his wife, who works in Saudi Arabia, and their two daughters.
During the visit to the ABCC, the diplomat was received by the organization’s president, ambassador Osmar Chohfi; the vice president of International Relations, Mohamad Orra Mourad; and the director of Institutional Relations, Fernanda Baltazar.
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Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
