The Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) will host next month the upcoming virtual session of the four-day Brazil-Arab Countries Economic Forum as part of its continuing bid to bring stakeholders together to tackle pressing economic and trade relations between the vast South American nation and the fourth largest destination of Brazilian products abroad, the Arab world. The event was initially scheduled to take place in April in São Paulo but was instead turned into a virtual event in compliance with the precautionary measures.
Set to be held from October 19 to 22, 2020 under the theme ‘The Future is Now,’ the online forum will convene high-level authorities, business executives and delegates from key Brazilian and Arab companies and organizations. It will feature discussion panels, the signing of agreements, and an exhibition to be staged in a computer-generated 3D environment. Among the event’s high-profile panelists include Ambassador Ernesto Araújo, Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs; Tereza Cristina, Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply; and Ouided Bouchamaoui, Co-Laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize 2015.
On the event’s first day, speakers will share their growth outlook for Brazil and the Arab world amid the current challenging global situation. The participants will address the landscape of a new world order on day two, while building partnerships for food security will be the main highlight of discussions on the third day. The last day will put the spotlight on the role of Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) in present times.
Rubens Hannun, President, Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, said: “To conform to the new reality, we are hosting the forum in a virtual setting. This is another opportunity to take a closer look into Arab-Brazilian relations, which have also been transformed by the pandemic. The unprecedented global health situation has forced us to reimagine and reinvent our approaches to achieve new gains under the present circumstances and emerge more resilient and stronger from this crisis.”
“In line with this year’s theme, we are called to change our approaches and reshape our future for the better. The event will be a chance for us to strengthen our cooperation as we draw a road map that will enable us to build a more sustainable and equitable society,” he added.
The ABCC will take the opportunity to present the findings of a survey it commissioned to examine Arab immigration to Brazil. Since the onset of the pandemic, ABCC has been launching initiatives and hosting webinars featuring Arab and Brazilian speakers to keep Arab-Brazilian ties alive during the pandemic. The Chamber created an online committee to address requests from Arab countries, as well as launched the ABCC Lab to foster business innovation and technology in the context of Arab-Brazilian relations.
