São Paulo – Saudi Arabia will be the theme of the next edition of seminar Focus Market, promoted by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) to present opportunities in destinations with great business potential for Brazilian exporters. The event will be promoted on the 26th, in São Paulo, and will have the support of the National Confederation of Industries (CNI), of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp) and of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.
According to the coordinator of the Market Strategy Unit at the Apex, Juarez Leal, Saudi Arabia is an important trade partner of Brazil in the Middle East and presents business niches that have not yet been totally explored by Brazilian businessmen. "The country offers opportunities in areas like foods and beverages, civil construction and railways and we want to show that there are opportunities that are not being used,” he said. According to Leal, 585 Brazilian companies export to Saudi Arabia.
Figures disclosed by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade show that Brazil exported US$ 3 billion in products to the Saudis in 2012. Chicken was the main products shipped to the Arab country, which also bought sugar, maize, iron ore and soy, among other items. Exports in 2012, however, were lower than those of 2011, when they had reached US$ 3.4 billion.
The sectors that offer the best business opportunities in Saudi Arabia and that will be presented during the seminar are foods, beverages, agribusiness, fashion, housing and civil construction. To present the characteristics of the Saudi market speakers with experience in the region have been invited.
One of the speakers should be the Brazilian Omar Hamaoui, who opened his construction company, Engeprot, in the United Arab Emirates in 2004 and later expanded business to Saudi Arabia, Libya and Qatar. Also giving presentations will be the coordinator of the Commercial Intelligence Unit at Apex, Marcos Lélis; the account manager at Chocolates Garoto in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, Alain Wehbe; Sidney Alves Costa, who is responsible for the Apex Business Centre in the Middle East; and the director of Meed Insight, MEED’s media and market intelligence area, Edward James.
Apart from them, Leal and the CEO at the Chamber, Michel Alaby, should present the characteristics of the Saudi market. "I am going to speak about the size of the market, how to approach clients, forms for promotion and cultural aspects to be observed,” said Alaby. After the seminar, digital material will be placed at the disposal of those participating on the Apex site.
According to Leal, Apex should explore 33 priority markets for Brazilian exporters by 2014. Six countries have already been the theme of seminars: the United States, China, Angola, Russia, Colombia and the Emirates. Kuwait is another Arab country considered a priority by the Apex.
Service
Saudi Arabia Focus Market Seminar
March 26th, 9:00 am
Hotel Intercontinental – Alameda Santos, 1,123, Jardim Paulista, São Paulo, SP.
Further information at site http://mercadofoco.apexbrasil.com.br/
To participate, it is necessary to register at site https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHJJQ1lwaDVId0NFTEs2M2lDQVpaVUE6MA
*Translated by Mark Ament
