SCCI explores opportunities of cooperation with Brazil

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), received recently, in his office at the SCCI, Luis Limos Iqerga, the Brazilian Ambassador to the UAE.

The meeting was attended by Mohamed Ahmed Amin, Acting Director-General of the SCCI, Saif Mohammed Al-Midfa, the CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, Rafael Solimar, Head of the International Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa at the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Fatima Al Mokarrab, Head of the SCCI’s International Cooperation Department.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways of boosting cooperation in various fields, especially trade and investment sectors, as well as developing the friendly relations between business communities in Sharjah and Brazil.

The meeting also reviewed the possibility of organising joint economic events, whether unilaterally or bilaterally, in Sharjah and Brazil with a view to defining the available investment opportunities and strengthening communication mechanisms between business communities in both countries.

Furthermore, the two sides discussed a number of topics of mutual interest that contributes to enhancing the trade, investment, and industrial cooperation between Sharjah and Brazil, so as to achieve the aspirations of the private sector in both countries.

Also, the meeting tackled establishing cooperation between the Chamber and Brazilian Embassy in the UAE, as well increasing trade exchange volume and exchange visits programmes for trade delegations and participation in economic exhibitions in both Sharjah and Brazil.

In this context, Abdallah Sultan Al Owais underlined the SCCI’s keenness on pushing the economic relations between Sharjah and Brazil to advanced stages and ongoing coordination to provide facilities and benefits that would help strengthen the trade relations, mutual investment and reinforce the ties among the business sectors in the two friendly countries.

Al Owais shed light on the SCCI’s participation in the 11th edition of the World Chambers Congress, which will be held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, June 12 – 14, 2019, noting that the SCCI will be participating in the upcoming edition as one of the golden sponsors of the conference which will be jointly organised by the International Chamber of Commerce, World Chambers Federation, and the Brazilian Commercial & Business Associations.

He also underscored the significance of SCCI’s participation as a golden sponsor of this major event which is held once every two years in various parts of the world, in particular, that is the only international forum for the chairmen of commerce chambers to share experiences and explore the relevant matters of the business sector.

“This participation is a translation of the SCCI’s vision to encourage the local business community to move towards universality and to reinforce the essential role of the Emirate of Sharjah as a key player in the international trade flows,” Al Owais noted.

He added that this sponsorship is reflecting the success of SCCI’s message to enhance its prominent place in the world’s economic forums and establish friendship bridges with the representatives of economic sectors around the world.

The Chairman of the SCCI further elaborated: “World Chambers Conference is an appropriate opportunity to share knowledge and innovative services, in addition to promoting the Emirate of Sharjah economically, culturally and as a tourism destination.”

For his part, Luis Limos Iqerga, the Brazilian Ambassador to the UAE, said that Brazil is keen to enhance the mutual trade and investment relations between the private sectors in both sides.

He praised Sharjah’s economic development in various domains, showing the interest of the Brazilian Embassy in deepening cooperation relations with Sharjah Chamber, so as to underpin the relationship between the two countries and serve both Emirati and Brazilian business communities.

The value of Brazilian exports to the Arab world during 2019’s first quarter amounted to 3.15 billion dollars compared to $2.75 billion during the same period last year. The latest figures issued by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce showed that the UAE imported 650.23 thousand tonnes of Brazilian products Worth $794.53 million. The imports of Arab countries from Brazil included iron, corn, sugar, chicken, beef, and aircraft.