Brazil’S Anuga Saw Its Largest Arab Participation

(MENAFN- Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA)) São Paulo – Anuga Select Brazil , the food and beverage trade fair concluding on Thursday (10) in São Paulo, saw the largest presence of Arab countries in its current edition, according to Beni Piatetzky, General Director of Koelnmesse Brasil, the event's organizer. The executive believes there is room to further increase their participation in 2026.“Brazil is still a very open market for business, with plenty of opportunities, and we can grow even more,” he said.

Arab companies from Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates exhibited at Anuga Select Brazil, offering products such as dates, olive oils, chocolates, and spices. Some of them showcased their goods in the two pavilions organized by the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC )-one Saudi and one Palestinian-while others participated independently. Additionally, FAMBRAS Halal, a certifier of halal products and services tailored for Muslim consumers, also had a booth at the fair.

Mourad (4th from the L) among Arabs and Brazilians

Confirming Piatetzky's predisposition, ABCC International Relations Vice President & Secretary-General Mohamad Mourad said the institution plans to increase the participation of Arab exhibitors at the 2026 edition of Anuga.“Every participation in a trade fair is a beginning, a first step. Next year, they'll return with even more market knowledge, greater volume, and strength. And the idea is to also organize pavilions for other Arab countries, such as Lebanon,” said the vice president.

Piatetzky sees the Arab presence as the result of multiple initiatives. In addition to the entrepreneurs' own willingness to attend, he highlights the efforts of the fair's representatives in Arab countries, the collaboration with the ABCC and FAMBRAS Halal, and word-of-mouth among participants who achieved good results and other companies.“The Anuga name is very strong,” he says. The fair's brand is international, as it is held in multiple countries, with the German edition being considered the world's largest food and beverage event.

Ahmad Ayobi: Dates and olive oil deals

At the Palestinian pavilion, one of the participants was Emirates Delights Food, which operates in Palestine, the UAE, and Jordan. By Thursday morning, the company had closed two deals of olive oils and dates-the latter in their natural form, stuffed, and covered in chocolate. However, according to information provided to ANBA by manager Ahmad Ayobi, contractual procedures were still pending for the deals to be fully finalized.

Mourad sees the Arab participation in Anuga as a gateway for introducing new regional products into the Brazilian market.“These are products that didn't reach here before. Although we already import dates from Arab countries, we don't import them from Palestine. From Saudi Arabia, if we do import, it's in small quantities,” he says. On the other hand, he believes this creates more options for Brazilian consumers, offering high-quality dates of different varieties.“It's an opportunity to taste new products from Arab countries that hadn't yet exported to Brazil,” he adds.

Commenting on the opportunities for Arab companies to sell products beyond dates and olive oil in Brazil, the general director of Koelnmesse Brasil highlights that the Brazilian market is open. Despite being a country that produces everything, its diversity and large population make it a potential buyer for all kinds of products.“Brazil is a completely open field for imports,” he says, though he advises Arab exporters to view the country as a medium- to long-term market.

According to Piatetzky, Brazil has 90,000 supermarkets, and 28 million people visit these establishments daily to shop.“So, when you tell an Arab country that you have 28 million consumers per day, the potential is almost limitless,” he says. Moreover, unlike most countries where the supermarket sector is dominated by large corporations, around 65% of supermarkets in Brazil belong to small chains.“An Arab entrepreneur can come and find a small network of 10 stores in Paraná [state] to sell to. This makes it easier to start the process,” he explains.

Turnover

This edition of Anuga Select Brazil, held at the Anhembi District, featured 20 national pavilions and 17 international ones, with exhibitors from 38 countries. Speaking to ANBA on the morning of the third day of the fair, before final attendance numbers were confirmed, Piatetzky estimated participation would surpass 16,000 visitors.“But this number doesn't quite reflect what we achieved, which is quality,” he said, highlighting initiatives that bring qualified visitors to the event, such as business matchmaking sessions between invited buyers and exhibitors.

Read more:
Anuga fair opens in São Paulo with Arab presence

Translated by Guilherme Miranda

Isaura Daniel/ANBAMarcelo Brammer/Arab-Brazilian ChamberIsaura Daniel/ANBA

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