Brazilian mayors join global city leaders at Expo City Dubai to enhance collaboration for a sustainable urban future
The gathering, attended by His Excellency Sharif Essa Al Suwaidi, UAE Ambassador to the Federative Republic of Brazil, and His Excellency Sidney Leon Romeiro, Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the UAE, took place on the sidelines of the first day of the Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum and underscored the UAE’s commitment to its urban and economic ties with Brazil’s leading cities, including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Curitiba.
Mayors attending the meeting represented cities across Brazil, including Cuiaba, Florianopolis, Campinas, Nova Lima e Alagoinhas.
With mayors and city coalitions increasingly shaping global responses to climate, technology, and inclusion challenges, the UAE is advancing a new model of partnership rooted in shared priorities — from AI and digital transformation to climate adaptation and equitable growth.
Economic relations between the two nations are characterised by a high level of mutual investment and significant trade flows. Brazil is the UAE’s largest trade partner in South America, while the UAE is the second-largest trade partner for Brazil in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The partnership continues to grow, with Dubai-based DP World expanding its investments around São Paulo’s Port of Santos, where it operates one of the country’s largest private port terminals. Meanwhile, Emirates Airline has increased the frequency of its flights to Brazil, now operating daily flights from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo to address rising demand for both tourism and business travel.
The meeting was also an opportunity to cement the UAE and Brazil’s 50-year diplomatic relationship, celebrated last year, and align on a shared commitment to creating sustainable, resilient and inclusive cities, enhancing existing areas of cooperation and investment including in technology, tourism, culture, trade and renewable energy.
Discussions highlighted the role of public-private partnerships in driving investment in inclusive innovation zones, smart infrastructure, and low-carbon mobility. Participants noted the complementary expertise of both countries with the UAE’s rapid execution of smart infrastructure and Brazil’s leadership in biodiversity and large-scale urban systems — as key to achieving measurable progress toward climate resilience and citizen wellbeing.
The mayors and city leaders are in Dubai for the global cities summit – held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. Over three days, they will dive deep into the challenges facing cities across the world, leveraging shared experiences in rapid urban development and infrastructure deployment to tackle global challenges such as climate resilience and citizen wellbeing.
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