Among the big news is the opening of a Brazilian Tourist Office in Dubai

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 05 December 2021:  Brazil has been working to strengthen bilateral relations with the UAE on several fronts. Among the most important sectors are investments and tourism. 

The big news is the start of the negotiations to open a Brazilian Tourist Office in Dubai. This will allow monitoring and understanding the market, strengthening relations with the touristic trade and industry and implementing strategies to attract tourists to Brazil. The date of the opening is yet to be defined.
In a recent meeting with the UAE ambassador to Brazil, Saleh Alsuwaidi, the president of the Brazilian Tourist Board, Carlos Brito, reinforced that Brazil is ready to be visited by international tourists, mainly due to the advance of vaccination against Covid-19. “We are experiencing a major upswing in the tourism sector, with air connectivity and hotel occupancy getting closer and closer to pre-pandemic levels in terms of domestic tourism. We hope to receive more and more visitors from the United Arab Emirates, and we are working towards this during the exceptional Expo Dubai 2020, which has been a success with the public,” said Brito.

Another point discussed at meetings during the Expo was the increase in the air network between the two countries. Since October 31, the Airbus A380 has returned to operating the Emirates route to São Paulo and conversations continue for the airline to also return its flight to Rio de Janeiro, in addition to evaluating operating in other Brazilian destinations, such as those in the Northeast.

Brazil is also increasingly preparing to offer customized experiences to Muslim tourists. The country already has some tourist establishments with halal certification, but it will carry out a national plan to prepare the sector to receive these tourists with excellence. The initiative is from the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and the National Confederation of Commerce of Goods, Services and Tourism.

Although the United Arab Emirates are not yet among the main emitters of visitors to Brazil, it is important to mention that the Arab community in the country is very relevant. A recent survey by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce pointed out that 6% of the Brazilian population is made up of Arabs and descendants. That means more than 11 million people.

At the business level, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates also have strong ties. Mubadala, the largest investment fund in the Emirates, has approximately US$ 2 billion invested in Brazilian territory. DP World, one of the largest port terminal operators in the world, purchased the Port of Santos. Yahsat, a satellite resulting from a partnership 

between the Emirates and Brazil, completed the necessary tests and will soon offer Internet. The data are from the UEA embassy in Brazil.
To the Minister of Tourism, Gilson Machado, Arab interest in Brazil is growing and this partnership between the countries has a very promising future. “The United Arab Emirates is a great market, and we are sure that we will take many tourists to discover Brazil and its exuberant nature, in addition to our culture and the hospitality of our people,” says.