High-level meetings held during recent trade mission to Latin America which covered Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina
São Paulo Mayor H.E. Joao Doria recently met with a high-level delegation led by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry which visited Brazil as part of a trade mission to Latin America.
During the meeting, H.E. Doria lauded Dubai Chamber’s efforts to strengthen economic cooperation with key stakeholders from Brazil’s public and private sectors, with the opening of its new representative office in São Paulo, adding that he plans to work with Dubai Chamber to raise Brazil’s share of Dubai’s total trade from 2% to 20%.
São Paulo’s mayor described Dubai as one of the world's most developed cities, and an important logistical, commercial and economic gateway for Brazil to the world. He praised the recent launch of Emirates’ A380 service to São Paulo, and highlighted the expansion of direct flights between the UAE and Brazil as a positive development in enhancing trade ties over the years.
He also expressed his support for Expo 2020, and revealed that government and business representatives from the Brazilian city would be participating in the mega event.
Addressing the mayor and delegates, H.E. Majid Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Chamber, spoke about the importance of building bridges between business communities in Dubai and Sao Paulo, and highlighted priority sectors for increasing bilateral trade and investment, including tourism, agri-business, logistics and real estate.
"UAE businesses and investors that have joined this delegation are very serious about their intention to explore opportunities in Brazil and other Latin American markets. This trade mission offers them an ideal platform for connect with key stakeholders, learn about the local business environment, and discuss business prospects,” said H.E. Al Ghurair.
H.E. Al Ghurair explained that Dubai Chamber's new Brazil office supports its strategy of reaching out to promising markets around the world, adding that this strategy falls in line with the emirate’s plans to diversify its economy and boost foreign trade.
For his part, H.E. Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chamber, noted the strong diplomatic and trade ties that the UAE and Brazil enjoy, and explained that this relationship has contributed greatly to the establishment of the Chamber’s first office in Latin America.
Dubai Chamber’s President and CEO invited H.E. Doria to attend the 2nd Global Business Forum on Latin America, which will be organised by Dubai Chamber and hosted in the emirate next year. He said that the global event will be an important platform to promote Brazil’s industries, while it will also connect Brazilian businesses and investors with their counterparts in the UAE and wider GCC region. He added that Expo 2020 is another major opportunity for Brazilian companies to boost their exposure and reach consumers from around the world.
H.E. Hisham Al Shirawi, 2nd Vice Chairman, Dubai Chamber, said that the Chamber has considered Latin America to be a market of strategic importance to Dubai for some time, pointing out that the Chamber previously organised a trade mission to the region 20 years ago.
Dubai Chamber’s 2nd Vice Chairman called for simplifying business procedures in Brazil, and added that the lack of sufficient logistics and transport infrastructure remains a key obstacle facing UAE investors and companies that want to do business in the country.
Sharing his insights on São Paulo’s economy, Wilson Poit, Municipal Secretary for Privatization and Partnerships, revealed that the city boasts the largest financial and technology centres in the region, while it also contributes 18% to Brazil’s GDP. He gave an overview of major privatisation and public-private partnership projects within the city, which cover various sectors, including real estate and healthcare.
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