JEDDAH – Food and beverage products continue to represent the most exported Brazilian products to Saudi Arabia, valued at more than $2.38 billion in 2012. The Kingdom also remains the biggest export destination of Brazilian products in the Middle East, with exports to the Kingdom reaching a value of over $3 billion in 2012. Against this backdrop, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) brings to Saudi Arabia a delegation comprising around 30 Brazilian companies to be taking part in the Brazilian Trade Mission to the Middle East, which kicks off with an exclusive business meeting in Jeddah on Feb. 18. The trade mission will see the participation of companies from several major sectors including food & beverage, housing and construction, machinery & equipment and auto parts. Apart from food and beverage, Brazil also exported more than $216.7 million worth of machinery & equipment, including auto parts, which accounted for a 30.5 percent growth from over $166 million in 2011, and over $50.3 million worth of housing and construction materials, representing a 10.7 percent growth from over $45.4 million in 2011. Other Brazilians products accounted for more than $347 million of the total exports to the Kingdom in 2012. Mauricio Borges, president of Apex-Brasil, organizer of the trade mission, said: "The enthusiastic response that we have received from Saudi and Brazilian companies for the upcoming edition of the Brazilian Trade Mission to the Middle East manifests the lucrative prospects that continue to emerge in light of the growing trade activities between the two countries. Now in its third edition, the trade mission certainly remains an important B2B matchmaking event that helps unlock more growth opportunities for Saudi and Brazilian business enterprises”. Tatiana Lacerda Prazeres, Secretary of Foreign Trade of Brazil, said: “The growing trade activities between Brazil and its partners in the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, clearly reflect the strong bilateral relations that Brazil has nurtured across the region. Trade relations with the Kingdom, which is Brazil's largest export market in the Middle East, has been especially robust as a result of our proactive efforts to create networking platforms that bring together key industry players from both countries to interact and explore mutually beneficial business opportunities.” The Brazilian Trade Mission to the Middle East expects buyers from Jeddah and other cities in the Kingdom. There will also be meetings in Dubai, with buyers from UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Iraq, among others. Participants will benefit from direct buying opportunities from qualified sellers, while the event will also facilitate various one-to-one meetings that create opportunities to build partnerships and distribution agreements with qualified sellers as well as extending personal network among industry peers. — SG
