S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 A 15-strong group of delegates from Minas Gerais, Brazil-based companies led by the Minas Trade and Business Association (ACMinas) will be in Dubai, the UAE on November 7 to tell local executives about the state\u2019s business potential and discuss prospective investment and export deals. While there, ACMinas will launch its new Minas Guide, containing information on subjects including the state\u2019s economy, major companies and industries, recent investments, history and culture.<\/p>\n
\u201cMinas has a lot to offer and we know we must work to build a relationship. This is our first step towards this,\u201d ACMinas director and International Relations Board chair M\u00f4nica Cordeiro (pictured<\/em>) told ANBA. After their appointments in Dubai on the 7th<\/sup>, the group is slated to arrive in Shanghai, China for other meetings.<\/p>\n According to M\u00f4nica, Dubai\u2019s promising scenario and the values it shares with Brazil were some of the reasons the emirate was chosen for the Minas Guide launch. The publication has been coming out in English for 10 years now. Two years ago, an online version in seven languages \u2013 including Arabic \u2013 was made available, as well as a mobile version. The online version was updated last week \u2013 as it is on an annual basis. This will be the Guide\u2019s first-ever launch away from Brazil.<\/p>\n The ACMinas director will lead the mission. She said the Minas Guide is intended as a welcome card both for prospective investors and for would-be exporters in Minas Gerais. According to M\u00f4nica, the companies joining this trip are foreign trade-ready. They are small- and medium-sized businesses in industries including fashion, construction, fruits, food, cosmetics, stones and jewelry, and services.<\/p>\n In both legs of the trip, some of the participating companies will play the part of \u2018anchors,\u2019 since they are already active in those areas. The anchor company in Dubai will be Grupo Martini Saback, a conglomerate active in civil construction in the UAE and Oman. The anchor for Shanghai is the Serpa group, an international logistics industry player in China and the United States.<\/p>\n At the Metropolitan Hotel Dubai, a presentation on the state will be given and the Minas Guide will be launched. Next there will be prescheduled business meetings with executives from local companies. The mission relies on partnership from the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs\u2019 Commercial Promotion and Investments Department, which invited Arab businesspersons for the meetings.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will tell them \u2018come see Minas Gerais, meet our executives, we have quality product on hand that meet the requirements of the Arab market,\u201d says M\u00f4nica. Besides Martini Saback and Serpa, the mission will comprise Fazenda Olhos D\u2019\u00c1gua (litchi), Sr. Ninico (cheese puffs), Pachamama (cosmetics), Arte Sacra, Danielle Ben\u00edcio and Le Dix Store (fashion), Diamante Azul (stones and jewels), Minas do Lar and TC Engenharia (construction), Ephata (visual communication), Social Motive (marketing), Inova School (languages) and Socila (beauty).<\/p>\n Commodities make up the bulk of sales from Minas Gerais to Arab countries at this time, according to Brazilian Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services data compiled by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce<\/strong><\/a>, January to September saw USD 977.5 million in sales of mostly ores, sugar, piping, poultry and coffee.<\/p>\n \u00a0Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum<\/strong><\/p>\n