Lula visits Abu Dhabi to close trade and environmental agreements

After fulfilling his agenda in China, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) will arrive this Saturday (15) in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The expectation is that the PT delegation will be received, at the end of the afternoon, at the Presidential Palace, by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Lula intends to use the trip to close commercial and environmental agreements, but the list of topics had not yet been released by the Planalto Palace as of this Friday afternoon (14). The United Arab Emirates are currently the largest investors in the Middle East in Brazil, surpassing US$ 10 billion.

Among the four main sovereign wealth funds in the Middle Eastern country, two – the Mubadala Development Company and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia) – maintain an active presence in Brazil. Mubadala’s undertakings in Brazil include investments in sectors such as infrastructure, mining, real estate, entertainment and education. Adia, on the other hand, has a profile focused on buying shares, with an interest in the real estate and hotel sector.

Around 30 Brazilian companies are present in the United Arab Emirates. This is the case of Vale, Embraer, Tramontina, WEG, Marcopolo, Itaú, BRF, JBS and Copacol, according to the Brazilian government

Still according to Planalto, the meeting stems from Al Nahyan’s desire to strengthen relations with the PT and expand trade between the two countries. According to the Ministry of Development, Brazil exported 1% of its products to the United Arab Emirates in 2022.

Last year, bilateral trade reached the mark of US$ 5.7 billion, an increase of 74% compared to 2021. Brazil had a Brazilian surplus. The highlight is agribusiness, which accounts for almost 60% of the basket of products sold to the country in the Middle East.

Lula will discuss environmental policies during the visit

Lula’s agenda in Abu Dhabi will include meetings with the organizers of the COP-28, which this year will be held in Dubai, and with sovereign investment funds. During the visit, the PT should discuss the Brazilian environmental agenda, such as policies for the preservation of the Amazon Forest and the attraction of resources for the Amazon Fund.

Abu Dhabi aims for 31% of the energy it uses by 2025 to come from clean sources. It also wants to halve, in ten years, carbon dioxide emissions. The UAE was the first nation in the Middle East and North Africa to commit to net zero emissions by 2050.

Extradition of Brazilian businessman on the agenda

Officially, the Brazilian government says that the president “will deal with the bilateral and economic relations between the two countries”. Despite this, Lula is expected to question Al Nahyan about the extradition request of businessman Thiago Brennand.

The extradition of the businessman, who has five preventive arrests decreed by the Justice of São Paulo, is on the radar because it is a topic on the bilateral agenda. According to the Brazilian government, the case “is already being processed and formally dealt with by the Brazilian diplomatic authorities and the courts of the Emirates.”

Brennand is accused of sexual crimes and has already been denounced eight times by the Public Ministry of São Paulo. In videos posted on social media, he has consistently denied all allegations.

In a publication made last week, the businessman stated that he intends to return to Brazil, that he owes apologies to former lawyers and authorities whom he offended, but says that he will probably be arrested “unfairly”. The defense asked for the arrests to be revoked and for Brennand’s name to be removed from the Interpol fugitive list, which was denied by the Justice.

The businessman left for the United Arab Emirates in September last year, a few hours before being denounced by the Public Ministry. He became known after attacking, in August 2022, the model Alliny Gomes, during an argument at a gym in the West Zone of the capital of São Paulo.

According to the Ministry of Justice, Brennand’s extradition request follows its normal flow. The folder claims to have formalized the request to the UAE authorities on November 4 last year. On March 17, 70 of Brennand’s guns were seized by police.

According to the Secretariat of Public Security, the weaponry was sent for expertise at the Institute of Criminalistics and would then be available to the Porto Feliz Justice Department, where the businessman is also being investigated.