Dubai – The leaders of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry wish to bring Brazilian business owners in on a deal-seeking mission across the country. The offer was made this Sunday (26) by the Federation’s secretary-general Humaid Mohamed Ben Salem during a meeting with delegates from the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in Dubai.
Abu Dhabi – the capital – and Dubai are the best-known ones, but the UAE also comprises five other emirates: Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm Al-Quwain.
“There are Brazilians who own businesses here. We could arrange for a mission to visit all of the emirates and unlock their potential,” Salem told the Arab Chamber president Rubens Hannun, suggesting that the two organizations partner up. The Federation brings foreign missions to the country often, including a recently-held one involving chambers of commerce from Portugal, Belgium, and Germany.
The secretary-general expressed keen interest in advancing Brazil-UAE ties, and he was optimistic regarding Brazil’s economy. “Over the past seven years, Brazil has changed a lot. It has grown stronger, more open, and industries we didn’t even imagine have thrived. The Brazilian economy is sure to improve, and that encourages us to venture into new partnerships and deals,” he said at the meeting.
Salem said the strong suit of Brazilian industry is foodstuffs, but he stressed that other products are available as well. “Brazil is a food basket first and foremost, but industries such as defense and aviation have also grabbed our attention,” said Salem. Regarding food, the Federation’s joint secretary-general Mohamed Al Nuaimi mentioned the opportunities available in Brazil for Emirati investors, particularly in agriculture and cattle farming.
In an interview with ANBA, secretary-general Ben Salem pointed out that the first issue facing Brazil-UAE relations, the aerospace connection, has been solved. Nonstop flights are available from two carriers: Emirates and Etihad. “Now, it is our job to show business executives what the opportunities are,” he said.
Salem also told Hannun of the emotional ties that bind Arab and South American people. “Some countries are closer to our heart, and those are the South American countries,” he said. He remarked that Arabs and Brazilians have a shared approach to family. “You approach family the same way we do,” he said, to which the Brazilians in attendance agreed.
Besides the actions designed to foster economic relations between the two countries, the meeting also covered other issues, such as online certification. The Arab Chamber is implementing online procedures for exports from Brazil to the Arab countries. The conversation focused on including the UAE in the new system.
The meeting took place in the Federation’s offices in Dubai. Also attending were the Arab Brazilian Chamber’s CEO Michel Alaby and COO Mauricio Borges, and the Federation’s Economic Department manager Ahmed Al Gaizi, among other executives. At the end of the meeting, Hannun and Salem exchanged homage plaques.
An Arab Chamber team is in Dubai accompanying the Brazilian participants in Gulfood, the food industry expo that began this Sunday (26). In addition to the expo, the team will have appointments designed to enable business between Brazil and the UAE.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
