With economic ties between the United Arab Emirates and Brazil continuing to strengthen, officials from both countries met at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Brasília to advance strategic dialogue on ports, aviation, logistics and transport infrastructure. The meeting builds upon a partnership that today supports billions of dollars in bilateral trade, major Emirati investments in Brazilian infrastructure and logistics, and growing connectivity between Brazil and global markets.
The meeting was hosted by the UAE Ambassador to Brazil, His Excellency Sharif Essa Al Suwaidi. It was attended byHis Excellency Tomé Franca, Brazil’s Minister of Ports and Airports; Tiago Faierstein, Director-President of Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC); Phillip McGrane, Regional Director of Dnata in Latin America; Angela Martins, CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) for Latin America; and Ilson Hulle, Corporate Commercial Director of Abu Dhabi Ports Group, among others from both governments and the private sector.
Bilateral trade between Brazil and the UAE has reached more than USD 5.4 billion. UAE companies are also playing an increasingly important role in Brazil's infrastructure ecosystem: Dnata now operates in 26 Brazilian airports with more than 6,000 employees; Emirates has transported more than 6 million passengers between Brazil and Dubai since launching operations; and Abu Dhabi Ports has invested R$4.2 billion in expanding its operations at the Port of Santos.
“The UAE and Brazil share a robust and forward-looking partnership built on trust, connectivity, and shared economic ambition,” said H.E. Al Suwaidi. “The growing presence of Emirati companies in Brazil's aviation and port sectors reflects our commitment to strengthening infrastructure, facilitating global trade and supporting sustainable economic growth. We look forward to expanding this cooperation through new investments and innovation, creating lasting value for both our nations.”
For H.E. Franca, the dialogue represented another important step in strengthening bilateral cooperation in infrastructure.
“We came to the UAE residence for a dialogue that is very important for the future of Brazil's infrastructure. A partnership with the UAE creates opportunities for new investments in ports, airports and waterways. Our objective is to strengthen this relationship by presenting the Ministry's investment pipeline and identifying new opportunities that generate jobs, income and infrastructure development through Emirati investments in Brazil,” His Excellency said.
The discussions build upon an already well-established economic relationship that has produced concrete results across aviation, logistics and infrastructure.
Today, UAE companies help connect Brazil to more than 140 international destinations, strengthening tourism, international trade and business links between South America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Dnata, part of the Emirates Group, has become Brazil's largest airport ground handling services provider by number of airports served. The company handles approximately 264,000 aircraft operations every year, contributing directly to the modernization of Brazil's airport infrastructure.
Emirates Airline has also significantly expanded connectivity between the two countries. Since launching operations in Brazil two decades ago, the airline has transported more than 6 million passengers between Brazil and the UAE. In 2025 alone, Emirates carried more than 414,000 passengers on its São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro routes.
According to ANAC Director-President Faierstein, aviation remains one of the strongest pillars of bilateral cooperation.
“We discussed the importance of UAE logistics operators in Brazil, particularly Emirates, which already operates regular flights to both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and Dnata, which has become one of the country's leading airport ground handling operators. We are also discussing new technologies for aircraft and airports, and we are confident this cooperation will generate positive results for both countries and contribute to the future development of civil aviation," Faierstei said.
Beyond aviation, UAE investments have become increasingly relevant to Brazil's logistics infrastructure.
At the Port of Santos, in São Paulo, Abu Dhabi Ports has invested R$4.5 billion in Brazil through the expansion of its terminal operations, while facilitating exports and logistics for agribusiness, industry and international trade.
In the energy sector, Mubadala Capital, through Acelen Renováveis, is developing one of the world's largest sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel projects based on the macaúba palm, positioning Brazil as a future global supplier of low-carbon aviation fuels.
