President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) is visiting Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Lula will meet with the president and Emir of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
This is the second time the president is visiting the country. The first time was in December 2003, during his first presidential term.
During the meeting, the heads of state will discuss commercial agreements, bilateral investments, and the environment.
According to the Presidency of the Republic, the Brazilian delegation is composed of representatives from 30 companies from various sectors, such as mining and meat.
In 2022, bilateral trade moved US$5.7 billion, an increase of 74% compared to the volume of the previous year.
Brazilian agricultural and livestock products account for almost 60% of exports to the United Arab Emirates.
Beef and chicken are among the most sold items to the Arabs. Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of halal chicken meat, produced according to the precepts and traditions of Islam.
Besides the trade flow, the United Arab Emirates is the biggest investor from the Middle East in the Brazilian market, to the tune of US$10 billion.
Regarding the environmental agenda, the Arab country invests in renewable energy and in the commitment to zero net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, in line with the strategy adopted by President Lula’s administration.
The country will host the 28th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the COP-28.
CHINA
The visit to the United Arab Emirates comes after Lula’s visit to China. In Beijing, the Brazilian president signed 15 commercial and partnership agreements with China’s leader, Xi Jinping.
The terms signed between the two countries include agreements for cooperation in space, research, and innovation, digital economy and fight against hunger, exchange of communication content, and trade facilitation.