São Paulo – Next Sunday (3rd) a Saudi delegation of 30 people, including government officials and businessmen, will arrive in Brazil, headed by the Saudi minister of Agriculture, Fahad Abdulrahman Balghunaim. The businessmen should meet with Brazilian ministers and entrepreneurs.
On Monday, an entrepreneurial meeting will be held in São Paulo, counting on the attendance of Brazilian ministers Wagner Rossi, of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, and Miguel Jorge, of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, and of the president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Salim Taufic Schahin. The event will focus on investment attraction.
According to Michel Alaby, the secretary general of the Arab Brazilian Chamber, the Saudi mission to Brazil is a reciprocation of Brazilian Agricultural Policy secretary Edilson Guimarães’ visit during the Saudi Agro Food fair, in 2009. "We had a seminar at the Riyadh Chamber and the secretary invited the Saudi minister to visit the country alongside a delegation of sector businessmen, to check out the possibilities in investment, trade and agricultural technology transfer," he explains.
On Tuesday, the delegation will visit the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (Unica) and the Association of Brazilian Beef Exporters (Abiec). Afterwards, the Saudis will meet with Brazilian businessmen at the Arab Brazilian Chamber headquarters. The organization supports the Saudi mission’s visit, which has been organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply.
On Wednesday, the last day of the visit to Brazil, there will be a second meeting between the ministers of Agriculture of the two countries. After that, the two ministers will meet with the Saudi businessmen.
"This official visit is very important because it enables for information to be exchanged and for the countries’ knowledge to be increased, and eventually it should also allow for Saudi investment in the Brazilian food industry," says Alaby.
The Saudi mission members are interested in dairy, beef, poultry, coffee, animal feed, fruit, sugar and vegetable oils. The entrepreneurs on the mission include high-level representatives of companies such as Arasco (an animal feed manufacturer that is a traditional importer of Brazilian soy), Alwatani Poultry (which operates with poultry and agriculture in general) and Alsanei (which operates in chicken breeding, engineering services and irrigation). The Brazilian ambassador in the Arab country, Sérgio Luiz Canaes, will also accompany the mission.
In 2009 and 2010, Saudi Arabia remained the top importer of Brazilian agricultural products. In 2009, the Saudis purchased US$ 1.504 billion in Brazilian agribusiness products, representing growth of 5.12% over 2008. From January to August this year, Saudi agribusiness imports from Brazil reached US$ 1.18 billion, representing growth of 16.5% compared with the same period last year.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
