São Paulo – The Dubai, UAE-based company Shadwell, which specializes in breeding Arabian and thoroughbred race horses, sponsored two events this Sunday afternoon (11) at the São Paulo Jockey Club. During the event, the Emirati delegates in Brazil were offered luncheon by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, in the Jockey Club’s English Bar. Shadwell was established in 1987 and owns farms in England, Ireland and the United States.
The company has been sponsoring Arabian and thoroughbred races in Brazil for ten-plus years. This is its chairman Mirza Al Sayegh’s first time in the country. Al Sayegh said it’s important to build closer Brazil-UAE ties, in horse racing as well as other sectors of the countries’ economies. “All Brazilian enterprises are very welcome in the UAE,” he said.
In an address over luncheon, Al Sayegh thanked all for attending and declared himself honored to be among executives, creators and representatives of the Arab Chamber. “The UAE’s relations with Brazil are very well-rounded, including culture and sports, and Brazil is regarded as a partner and a friend by us. It is one of the leading countries in horse breeding worldwide. We wish to advance these relations more and more, by opening channels to connect our farms and all breeders in Brazil and the world. Shadwell is at the avail of the Jockey Club, of Brazilian breeders and all horse breeding farms across Brazil,” he asserted.
Authorities in attendance included the UAE consul to São Paulo Ibrahim Salem Alalawi, Jockey Club board chairman Benjamin Steinbruch; the Arab Chamber’s president Rubens Hannun and wife Alessandra Hannun, interim CEO Tamer Mansour, director Mohamad Abdouni Neto and wife Lamia Abdouni; and horse breeders, including the brothers Ricardo Jamil Saliba and Paulo Saliba, whose team comprising the horse Rach Stud, jockey Michael Silva and coach Lucas Quintana won the Arabian horse race held in the afternoon. They accepted trophies from the UAE delegates.
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Emiratis in attendance included Shadwell’s Abdalla Al Alsari, the chairman’s daughter Khadija Al Sayegh, the Marketing manager for England Tom Pennington and others.
Steinbruch thanked everyone for coming and said joining the event it was a pleasure. “Brazil and the UAE share many common interests. Historically and traditionally, we boast great political, commercial and social ties. Let us hope we can also see more convergence when it comes to horses, as a result of this partnership that goes back so many years,” he stated.
The UAE delegation presented the Arab Chamber president with a commemorative plate and held a draw of assorted gifts. “The present they gave us will be kept in our collection. Our intention is to work closer with them, not only in races and horses, but everything that goes with that. The Arab Chamber is always striving to look beyond trade. We know business is a consequence of all this: of sports, of culture, which are very rich things, and the UAE are very important, well-integrated partner. Today was a landmark day in our relations,” argued Hannun.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
