Jafz to hold roadshows in Brazil

Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafz), the Middle East’s trade and logistics hub, seeks to further strengthen Brazilian presence in the Free Zone in order to boost Brazil’s trade with the UAE and the region, considered one of the fastest growing markets in the world.

Jafza will visit Brazil, the largest economy in Latin America, having well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing and service sectors, between April 28 and May 7, 2014, and will host two business seminars – one in Sao Paulo on April 28 and another in Rio de Janeiro, on May 5. The seminars are part of Jafz’s 10-day extensive roadshow in the South America’s largest economy.

Jafza Roadshow and seminars follow the highly important visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, to Brazil earlier this week, pledging to enhance UAE’s relations with Brazil and other Latin American countries.

Both seminars are being organised in collaboration with Apex Brazil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency and Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, and will showcase huge business opportunities that are available to Brazilian businesses in the greater Middle East region comprising West and South Asia, Africa and the CIS, which Jafz serves as a hub.

Jafza Roadshow will be led by Senior Vice-President Adil al Zarooni, Senior Manager-Americas Region Ahmad Bin Hareb, and Executive –Sales Zilda Rosa.

“The UAE is Brazil’s second largest trade partner in the entire Middle East region. Brazilian exports to the UAE are estimated to have grown by 15 per cent last year to over $2.7 billion, which still accounts for less than 2 per cent of Brazil’s global exports of over $244 billion,” said Adil Al Zarooni said.

“Huge opportunities exist in the UAE and the region for Brazilian exporters to capitalize on not only in the food but also in other sectors such as infrastructure development, which includes steel, automobile, electrical equipment, pharmaceutical, healthcare, cosmetics and beauty care, etc. that are Brazil’s strength,” he said.

“The Middle Eastern countries are planned to be spending more than $4 trillion on infrastructure development in the next 10 years. The UAE’s recent winning the right to host World Expo 2020 in Dubai has provided further boost to not only infrastructure and construction but other sectors such as FMCG, healthcare, and transport,” he added.

“Our seminars in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro seek to create larger awareness of these irresistible opportunities in the region that can be taken advantage of by being in Jafza, which is the centre to serve the entire region, among Brazil’s dynamic business community.”

Brazil’s main exports to the UAE at present include sugar, meat, cereals and vegetable oil.

Jafza is currently home to more than 7,300 world’s finest companies including 120 Global Fortune 500 enterprises, who serve the entire region from their respective regional headquarters at the Free Zone. These companies together are estimated to have generated trade worth $90 billion in 2013.

Apex Brazil and Brazilian Chamber of Commerce are actively engaged in strengthening Brazilian participation in capitalizing on emerging opportunities in the region and have brought several high-level trade missions to the UAE in the last couple of years.

Apex Brazil has established its regional hub in Jafz in 2009 and has been instrumental in expanding Brazilian presence in the region ever since. It operates an incubation centre in the Free Zone to support Brazilian businesses to explore and access business opportunities in the region’s rapidly expanding markets.

UAE and Brazil governments are keen to strengthen bilateral trade and investments between the two countries. The opportunities of strengthening economic ties are supported by several developments such as direct flights between Dubai and Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires offered by Emirates airline.

Dubai’s DP World is currently engaged in building the largest Brazilian private multi-modal port terminal in the city of Santos. The first phase of the project will have 1 million TEU capacity and will provide huge support in enhancing Brazilian exports to the Middle East.
 

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