RIYADH: The Brazilian ambassador to the Kingdom, Flavio Marega, said in a wide-ranging interview with Arab News that direct flights from Jeddah to Brazil are being mulled by Saudi Arabian Airlines and the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA).
“We were told by GACA that they are just waiting for the new terminal at King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah to be opened before these flights can begin. It is not certain yet, but there is a great possibility that this will happen,” said the envoy, pointing out that three other Gulf carriers already operate daily flights to Brazil.
Marega also said that his government is working with the Saudi authorities on a consular agreement that would grant Brazilian businessmen a five-year, multiple entry visa to the Kingdom. Currently, businessmen from Brazil can only get a three-month visa, which is hampering business ties. Once this agreement is made, Brazil will also issue five-year visas to Saudi businessmen going to that country.
“Multilateral trade between Brazil and Saudi Arabia stands at $6 billion a year,” said Marega. “We still import oil from the Kingdom and export meat, chicken and beef to this country,” he added.
In this regard, the Brazilian envoy said that both countries are working on a customs agreement that would speed up the entry of goods at each other’s border entry points by setting up an electronic system for customs clearance. “This will significantly facilitate the release of goods into each country,” explained Marega.
The ambassador noted that although Brazil and Saudi Arabia have had diplomatic relations since 1968, it was only when the late King Abdullah visited Brazil in 2000, and when President Luis Inacio “Lula” da Silva visited the Kingdom in 2009, that relations began to take off.
He said that the Brazil-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission only met for the second time last year in Brasilia, and that three cooperation agreements were signed. One approved direct flights between the two countries, another was for sports cooperation, and the third one was for the training of each other’s diplomatic corps. He said that Brazil has already approved the sports agreement.
“Brazilian soccer players have always been present here in Saudi teams, with many Saudis still remembering the great Roberto Rivelino who came here in the 1970s,” recalled Marega. He estimates that around eight to 10 Brazilian players are currently in Saudi teams, though he said they do not have an exact number as not all of them register with the embassy.
Marega said that Brazil is working on providing the Kingdom with technology in the field of nuclear medicine, and on a system to deal with commercial disputes that may arise between the two countries.
“Brazil has proposed to the Kingdom that a panel of three experts, agreed upon by both sides, be used to arbitrate commercial disputes. We have had problems using the International Center for Dispute Settlement in Washington because of the federal nature of Brazil’s governing system.
We hope that our proposal will be accepted as this will promote and protect investments between our two countries,” the envoy explained.
Finally, Marega noted that the Brazilian Central Bank is sharing with the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency its experience in setting up a banking correspondent network in Brazil where ordinary citizens can pay bills at post offices and small shops that use this system.
“Our banking correspondent system has done well in providing banking services to Brazilians living in small towns and villages where there is no bank at all. Similarly, SAMA would like to set up a system to allow Saudis living in far-flung areas to have access to the banking system,” said the ambassador.
