Paper Arabia expects visitors to cross 10,000

Dubai - Rising consumption keeps paper industry on strong ground

The UAE consumer paper and board packaging market is valued at $500 million, or Dh1.9 billion, and it is expected to increase as the UAE economy develops further.
This was disclosed at a news conference on Sunday that was held to announce the eighth edition of Paper Arabia 2015. The largest Paper Arabia to date will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The three-day show is scheduled to open on Monday, according to its organiser Al Fajer Information and Services. The organiser expects 25 per cent growth in visitor numbers.
The show has attracted participation from the UAE, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, Libya, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Norway, Pakistan, Taiwan, Netherlands, UK and USA.
Al Fajer said packaging sales in the UAE will continue to show strong growth as both increased consumption and demand for consumer goods drives the need for more sophisticated packaging.
"The show is 22 per cent bigger than the previous edition, which demonstrates the robustness of the paper industry in the UAE and regionally in products as well as machinery," said Lamyae Zafati, exhibition manager at Al Fajer Information and Services.
The UAE paper industry is witnessing dramatic growth due to the increasing number of manufacturers and significant development of paperwork conversion industry in recent years. The paper conversion sector includes producing all paper products such envelopes, paper bags, cardboard and others.
The increasing number of Asian suppliers at the show shows that the centre of gravity within the paper industry has shifted eastward. USA and Europe are no longer the dominant forces in the paper industry.
Corrugated and carton industries have been added to the line-up in 2015 where leading companies specialised in this field will be present at the show.
Zafati added: "The previous edition of the show saw attendance of more than 8,000 trade visitors from 45 countries; we expect this number to cross 10,000 in this year's edition due to the fact that more companies are exhibiting."
Paper Arabia attracts key players in paper and tissues production, in addition to manufacturers of paper remittances from the Middle East and the world.
The exhibition also provides an opportunity for major machinery manufacturing firms and other service providers to showcase their latest innovations.
Zafati added that paper consumers in the world are looking at Dubai as an alternative hub for Europe due to its cost effectiveness and speed of delivery, making it a strong candidate for acquiring lead position in this industry.
Talking about the tissues industry, Zafati said: "Although production capacity of paper tissues in the UAE is very high, factories in the UAE have plans to increase their export to neighboring countries, on the strength of their advanced machineries used in the production of these products."
The paper, tissue and converting industries will be displaying latest technologies at the show. A wide array of machinery targeting paper mills will be displayed, along with a range of household paper for end users.
- abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com