UAE, March 12, 2018- A contingent of government officials from Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA) recently visited the UAE as part of its mission to establish its presence in new major Asian and Middle Eastern markets, according to the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC). Led by MAPA’s Executive Secretary, the government delegation was joined by businessmen and heads of different organizations across industries.

The high-level visitors networked with local business owners as well as met with Khalifa Al Ali, General Director of the Food Security Center, in Dubai to tackle overseas food security and certifications issued to ensure the quality of food being sold in the UAE market.

The halal certification, which certifies that the product was made under the Islamic tradition, was also one of the focused areas of discussions. Representatives from Brazilian halal certification authorities, the Islamic Dissemination Centre for Latin America (Cdial-Halal) and the Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil (Fambras Halal), were present during the meeting.

Rubens Hannun, President of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, said: “The visit comes at a time when trade activities between Brazil and the UAE are steadily flourishing, with both sides demonstrating good faith and commitment to strengthen further their bilateral partnership. The outcome of the meetings between the two sides was highly positive and encouraging and has bolstered MAPA’s efforts to reach new markets in the region. For the ABCC’s part, the association will continuously facilitate such similar important endeavors to ensure attainment of mutually beneficial goals and development.”

Brazil gained USD 2.5 billion with exports of food and other agribusiness products to the UAE in 2017. The most sold food to the Arab country in 2017 was sugar, followed by meat – both of which accounted for over half of the total sales at USD 1.4 billion. On the other hand, the UAE exported USD 186-million worth of products, mainly fertilizers, to the Brazilian market.