The even will be happening between January 26 and 31st. Around US$ 3 million should be closed during the fair, and the other US$ 17 million should be closed in the coming 12 months.
The business volume should end very close to that registered in the 2008 edition. "Due to the crisis, we do not forecast growth, but we plan to maintain the same number of visitors and deals closed as last year," said the executive director at the Abimo, Hely Maestrello.
The Brazilian stand should once again be set up in partnership with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex).
In the space reserved by the Abimo, companies will have all the necessary support for promotion of business. The pavilion is equipped with a meeting room, storeroom and business center, with computers, Internet, printers, fax and telephone. Apart from that, each company should count on a furnished area of 9 square meters with two posters produced by the Abimo with Apex sponsorship. The total area should be 378 square meters.
According to Maestrello, this year the space should be located right in front of Sheik Hashid Hall and the appearance should be entirely renewed to attract the attention of visitors. "This time we have decided to invest in the presentation of the stand and also in the promotion of the space in other pavilions in the fair. "We have 10 banners with the Brazilian flag distributed in several pavilions inviting visitors to our stand," he explained.
Last year the fair generated 2,700 trade contacts, most with Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Morocco, Mauritania, Palestine, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Sudan and Tunisia.
"It is a market with very great potential," stated Maestrello. Apart from that, the director of the Abimo is betting on the fondness the Arabs have for Brazilians for the closing of new deals.
The association has been organizing the stand since 2003. According to Maestrello, the fair grew very much in recent months and some countries, like Germany, bought entire pavilions.
"Now our expectation is for the promise of the organizers to be complied with in the 2010 edition and the fair to be promoted in a greater area so that the Abimo may finally expand the size of the stand and also cover a greater area. We are currently not in the best pavilion, but we are still optimistic with regard to the fair, he added.
According to Maestrello, the Arab countries are not the main destination for Brazilian exports, but are among the most important. The main products shipped to the region are equipment for the dentistry sector, cardiac monitors, surgery equipment, hospital beds, anaesthetic equipment and inhalers, among others.
Abimo has not yet disclosed the official figures for 2008, but according to the estimates of the Market Development Department at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, last year Brazilian exports of dentistry and medical and hospital products to the Arab countries were around US$ 9.93 million, representing growth of 26.65% over the 2007 edition.
The main destination markets for sector exports in 2008 were Saudi Arabia (US$ 1.75 million), Algeria (US$ 1.73 million), Egypt (US$ 1.37 million) and the United Arab Emirates (US$ 1.30 million).
Brazilian dentistry and medical and hospital products are already exported to over 100 countries.
Arab Health is already considered one of the most important fairs for Abimo, second only to Medica, which takes place in Germany. The fair is the most important medical and hospital product fair in the Middle East and is visited by importers from several countries, mainly Arab ones. "The Arabs buy the showrooms companies take. That is great. They always do good business there," said Maestrello.
Service
Arab Health
Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
From January 26th to 29th, 2009
Site: www.arabhealthonline.com