Plastics, Printing & Packaging Industry Bets Big On MENA Market

Majority of the exhibitors taking part in a multi-industry trade event in Sharjah are utilising the opportunity to explore the possibility of expanding their presence in the fast-growing Middle East and North Africa market.

Visitor turnout and participation at the 2nd Plastivision Arabia, 2nd Arabia Mold, inaugural Print Pack Arabia, and the 5th International Conference for Plastics Conversion (PlastiCon) was high on the first three days of the event. The three trade fairs and the conference opened at Expo Centre Sharjah on April 7 and will conclude on April 10.

“The first three days were fantastic. With one more day to go, we are expecting further surge in visitors to the multi-industry events. Most of the exhibitors are optimistic about the MENA and GCC growth story and are planning to expand their presence in the region,” said Mr. Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO, Expo Centre Sharjah.

The World Bank Group’s latest regional economic update projects growth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to accelerate from an average of 2.6 per cent in 2013 to 4.6 per cent in 2015. Higher global and regional demand is also expected to boost exports of manufactured products, it said.

Rising real estate prices and mega events like World Expo 2020 and FIFA World Cup 2022 taking place in quick succession are expected to further boost growth.

“We are planning to expand in the GCC & Africa market to join the development and growth happening here,” said Mr. Hemanth Kumar, Managing Director, Accurate International Trading FZCO, which is showcasing a set of international products from Asia and Europe at Arabia Mold. “We are receiving high interest in our products,” he added.

The foreign participation in the event is dominated by Indian exhibitors, mainly due to the tie-up with All India Plastics Manufacturers Association for Plastivision Arabia and the Indian Printing, Packaging and Allied Machinery Manufacturers' Association for Print Pack Arabia.

“The regional market is on a high growth path as we can see our customers are modernizing their products to catch up with rapidly changing market needs. At Print Pack Arabia 2014, we are drawing good response, and if this continues, it is going to exceed our expectations,” said Mr. Vinay Krishnan, General Manager, AFRA International FZC. The company is exhibiting latest technologies in rigid box-making solutions at the fair.

Together, the three trade fairs are targeting the plastics, mold-making, printing and packaging industries and are featuring more than 250 exhibitors from across the world, covering a wide spectrum of industries critical to the region.

Plastivision Arabia is also featuring a ‘Business Opportunity Pavilion’, ‘Consultation Counters’, and a ‘Recruitment Pavilion’, offering complete manpower & training solutions, industry information and business leads to regional companies.

“We are keen to explore this growing market where customers are looking for high quality steel products. At Arabia Mold, we are offering a new generation steel called toolox,” said Mr. Hakan Engstorm, Technical Manager, SSAB. Toolox is a modern quenched and tempered pre-hardened tool and machine steel that are ready to use and helps save time.

3D solutions in printing and mold-making have made a big impact at the show. “In the GCC, we are seeing a lot of interest in our 3D printing and we are expecting the technology to play a key role in architecture-related sectors and education. The expected boom in construction business in the run up to the World Expo 2020 will see demand for 3D printers go up as they are used for model and structure presentations. We are introducing three main products at Arabia Mold -- Artec 3D, MakerBot and Stratasys 3D. We had great response from some quality visitors,” said Mr. P. Viswanathan, Division Manager, Jacky’s Business Solutions.

The show has also opened up a new window of business opportunities to firms that are manufacturing eco-friendly products. “The GCC is our main target market with a promising future. We are showcasing innovative water-based inks that are eco friendly and chemical free which are ideal for printing on food packaging. With 80 per cent share, we dominate the Italian market and Print Pack Arabia has opened a window of opportunity for us,” said Ms Nicola Mellon of Eston Chimica.

The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association’s PlastiCon 2014 is focusing on the growth of plastics conversion both globally and in GCC countries, offering a great opportunity for trade representatives to gain insights into challenges and developments facing conversion today.

All the 3 exhibitions are open at Expo Centre Sharjah till Thursday, 10th April and the timings are from 10am to 6pm daily. Admission is free to trade and professional visitors.

Emirate:  Sharjah

Date: Apr 9, 2014

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