Brazilian firms eye MidEast construction
Director General of Arab Brazil Chamber of Commerce says trade between Brazil and Middle East is increasing
Michel Alaby says trade between Brazil and the Middle East is increasing.
RELATED ARTICLES: China plays catch up with the West | Middle East dominates World’s Top 100 Infrastructure Projects | UAE construction focuses on quality
Brazilian construction companies are eyeing opportunities in the Middle East, as trade between South America’s largest country and the region are increasing, the director general of the Arab Brazil Chamber of Commerce said on Tuesday.
In an interview with Big Project Middle East, Michel Alaby said that Brazilian construction firms are looking to get involved in the $2.5bn trade between the Brazil and the UAE, with plans afoot to open up more trade between the two countries, one of them being in construction materials.
“The trade relationship is increasing a lot. Today we have around $2.5bn in mutual trade. Brazil exports, to the UAE – meat, sugar, mineral ore and construction materials. It mainly imports oil and raw materials for fertilisers. We (the ABCC)are trying of course to open up more of this trade, one of them being in construction materials,” he explained.
According to figures released by the Chamber, Brazil exported $40.93mn in construction materials to the Arab World. This was a 51% increase compared to 2010, when sales reached $27.15mn. Highlights were iron or steel bars (with an increase of over 1000% and pipes and accessories, which had an increase of 69%).
“The idea in the future is to move ahead with big construction companies, the construction consultant companies. What I know, is that there are four big companies here in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or in the Gulf region, mainly in Qatar.”
“They’re looking to participate in these big tenders in infrastructure like highways, airports, ports and the most important projects in the region,” Alaby said.
