In wake of G20, Gulf states boost ties to Brazil, Latin America

Middle East analysts are welcoming a series of agreements concluded during the recent summit in Brazil of the 20 biggest economies, saying they open new avenues for Gulf Cooperation Council states to strengthen economic relations with emerging markets across Latin America.

Among other developments, Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates signed a memorandum of agreement with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. It is designed to establish a joint mechanism "aimed at promoting UAE investments in strategic sectors in Brazil," according to the Abu Dhabi news site Gulf News.

A second memorandum of agreement between the foreign ministries of the two countries called for unspecified cooperation in Africa, Gulf News said.

Saudi Arabia, for its part, concluded a memorandum of agreement establishing a Saudi-Brazilian Coordination Council that is intended to foster cooperation across sectors that include economic, diplomatic and strategic, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The agreements build on well-established ties between the Gulf Cooperation Council states and Brazil, a major agricultural exporter whose efforts to address global food insecurity align with the GCC's need to secure vital agricultural imports, including meat, cereals and coffee.

The Gulf countries, for their part, are well positioned to provide Brazil with phosphate, aluminum and oil.

Brazil is already the GCC's largest trading partner in Latin America, followed by Mexico and Argentina. In 2022, more than 70% of Brazil's exports to Arab countries consisted of agricultural products such as meat and grains.

Zubair Iqbal, a nonresident scholar at the Middle East Institute and former International Monetary Fund official, told VOA that Brazil offers the GCC states promising opportunities for trade and investment.

But he noted that tangible progress toward enhanced GCC-Latin American cooperation remains largely reliant on bilateral agreements rather than multination initiatives, limiting their impact.

"While there have been general exhortations for furthering trade relations, specific responses will be a function of bilateral agreements," he said. "Prospects for more trade and increased investment remain strong, especially with Brazil. However, it will depend upon national interests and alternative options."

According to the latest available data for 2022, GCC countries, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have increasingly expanded their investment footprint in Latin America, totaling $4 billion between 2016 and 2021.

The UAE's sovereign wealth fund, Mubadala, has been a key player, with investments exceeding $5 billion in Brazil since the early 2010s. Notable projects include an oil refinery, a toll road and collaborations with Brazil's largest biofuel producer. Mubadala has plans to invest an additional $1 billion annually in Brazil.

UAE-based JFR Investments, owned by an Angolan businessman, has meanwhile signed significant mining agreements since 2022 with companies in Brazil and Peru. And Dubai-based DP World manages port infrastructure across Latin America.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is also deepening its ties in Latin America. In June 2024, PIF hosted a conference in Rio de Janeiro, where it announced $15 billion in planned projects for Brazil.

In August 2023, Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih toured seven Latin American nations to explore opportunities in sectors such as mining, food processing, agriculture, transport, health care, entertainment, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

Prior Saudi investments in the region include the acquisition by Saudi Aramco of Chilean fuel retailer Esmax and a $500 million investment by the Saudi Fund for Development in an Argentine gas pipeline.

Kevin Funk, a political economist specializing in Latin America, told VOA that Brazilian companies are meanwhile showing greater interest in investing in the Gulf as the region diversifies its economy away from dependence on oil.

There is now an array of large and small Brazilian businesses operating in the Gulf countries, and in numerous sectors, including food, clothing and cosmetics, Funk said. Among them is Sao Paulo-based JBS, the world’s largest meat processor, which has established a significant presence in the Gulf.

"Yet the fundamentals of the interregional commercial relationship remain largely constant, with Brazil and certain other Latin American countries mostly exporting primary products such as agricultural goods and minerals to the region, while mainly importing fossil fuels and fertilizers," he said.

Brazil’s reliance on Gulf fertilizers has grown, partly due to supply chain disruptions caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

However, domestic challenges in Latin America - such as slow economic growth, political instability and inequality - have limited the region’s ability to prioritize interregional ties, Funk said.