Agreement Offers Brazilian Companies Easier Access to UAE Market

Dubai-UAE: 15 February, 2012 - TECOM Investments, a member of Dubai Holding, today announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), laying the foundation for the Agency to mark a presence in Dubai Media City (DMC) and facilitate business synergy between Brazilian companies and TECOM Investments' business parks.

The agreement also allows Brazilian companies to test opportunities in the region through the APEX office prior to establishing their businesses in the UAE.

Apex-Brasil promotes Brazilian products and services overseas and furthers the internationalisation efforts of Brazilian companies. The body is also mandated to facilitate foreign investment into Brazil.

Fernando Pimentel, Brazilian Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, and Mohammad Abdullah, Managing Director of TECOM Investment's Media Cluster, signed the MoU in the presence of Brazilian Ambassador, Jose de Mendonça e Lima.

Mohammad Abdullah said: "Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in relations between the UAE and Brazil. We are proud that TECOM Investments is at the forefront of establishing this very important economic link. We look forward to welcoming our peers from the Brazilian business community. We are confident that they will find a supportive and influential partner in the TECOM Investments' family."

Minister Pimentel said: "As emerging economies with mutually complementary strengths, Brazil and the UAE share a very unique bond. Brazil is considered the sixth largest economy in the world and is well on its way to becoming the fifth during this decade. However, we know that we cannot grow and diversify our economy without strong and varied partnerships with countries such as the UAE that follow a path of diversification with visionary projects including TECOM Investments' initiatives. I look forward to strengthening this relationship in the years to come."

Brazilian Ambassador Jose de Mendonça e Lima said: "The UAE has been an excellent trade partner to Brazil. Dubai presents a very attractive proposition in terms of global trade with established trade routes between eastern and western hemispheres. This link is crucial to countries such as Brazil that wish to gain access to this part of the world and further East. We are assured that today is the beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship for the UAE and Brazil."

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About TECOM Investments
TECOM Investments, based in Dubai, is a member of Dubai Holding, a global company dedicated to knowledge and life-improving industries.

Home to over 4,500 companies, including major multinationals and many of the Fortune 500 companies, TECOM Investments interests also include exclusive investments in high-growth sectors.

One of TECOM Investments' largest portfolio companies is TECOM Business Parks. It comprises 10 business parks under five industry clusters across the information and communication technology (ICT), media, education, sciences, as well as manufacturing and logistics sectors.

Dubai Internet City and Dubai Outsource Zone form the ICT Cluster, while Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City and the International Media Production Zone make up the Media Cluster.

Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City are part of the Education Cluster. Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park and Energy and Environment Park (ENPARK) compose the Science Cluster.

Dubai Industrial City comes under the Manufacturing and Logistics Cluster of TECOM Business Parks.

Building on its domestic success and vision for global expansion, TECOM Investments has conceptualised SmartCity, a venture that aims to develop knowledge industry townships worldwide. The foundation has already been laid with the development of SmartCity Malta and SmartCity Kochi.

Apart from spurring cluster development by creating purpose-built facilities and working with the Dubai and Federal Governments to develop business-friendly policies and industry regulations, TECOM Investments also focuses on 'pure play' businesses.

eHosting DataFort is a managed IT and advisory services provider.  Arab Media Group (AMG) is a leading media and entertainment organisation in the UAE, with subsidiaries covering radio broadcasting, event management and outdoor advertising.

TECOM Investments also owns share capital in Empower, a district cooling service provider; Nexgen Advisory Group, a MENA-based specialised advisory and consulting services organisation; and Energy Management Services (EMS), a leading energy savings company in the Middle East.

About Apex-Brasil
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) serves companies of all sizes and exporting stages, focusing on small and medium-sized companies.

The Agency strategically seeks to increase the number of Brazilian exporting companies in the foreign market, to diversify and add value to Brazilian exported products, to increase the volume of Brazilian exports, to consolidate the country's presence in traditional markets and to open new markets for Brazilian products and services.

In order to achieve these goals, Apex-Brasil provides services of Information, Building Export Capacity, Trade Promotion, Positioning and Image, and Support to Internationalisation.Apex-Brasil organises a wide range of trade promotion activities in partnership with sector organisations, by means of the Sector Projects (PS).

They include prospective missions and trade missions, business rounds, support to participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs and visits of foreign buyers and trend-setters to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, among other actions and special projects. 

The Agency currently supports 81 sectors of the Brazilian economy, divided into six large productive categories: food and beverages, fashion, technology and health care, housing and civil construction, entertainment and services, and machinery and equipment.

The Agency also develops and builds the image of these productive sectors by means of comprehensive marketing activities and dissemination focused on entrepreneurs and consumers of high potential purchasing power.As an organ focused on strategy development, Apex-Brasil produces competitive and business intelligence studies in order to guide decisions of Brazilian firms on entering international markets. 

As part of its effort to internationalise Brazilian companies, Apex-Brasil counts on Business Support Centers around the world, which are platforms designed to help Brazilian companies in key global markets.

For further information, please contact:
Nancy Sudheer
APCO Worldwide
(JIWIN Public Relations)
Tel: + 971 4 369 2834
Mob: + 971 50 7055290/+ 971 55 9548681
Email:nancy.sudheer@apcoworldwide.com

© Press Release 2012