Middle East Paper Industry Expo, Paper Arabia 2007 opens, UAE leads participation

Paper Arabia 2007, organized by one of the leading events organiser, Al Fajer Information and Services, has been conceived to highlight the growing importance of the industry in the regional context of economic diversification and the increasing trend of global knowledge-based industries shifting its focus towards the region.

Commenting on the exhibition, Col. Mohammad Mubarak Essa Al Abbar, Group Vice President, Al Fajer Group, said: "The significance of the industry is evident from the success of this debut expo which has attracted 120 exhibitors from across the world from 25 countries, reflecting the rising interest in the MENA region as a cost-effective hub for the paper industry."

"Interestingly, the increasing role the UAE plays in the regional paper industry is evident from the fact that the largest contingent of participants at the expo is from the emirates. The UAE paper industry is worth US$1 billion, a sizeable share in the total estimated worth of the industry in the region at US$3 billion," he said.

Apart from the leading participation of the UAE, other participants in Paper Arabia 2007 are from Austria, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, the UK and the US

Elaborating on the role of Dubai in the paper industry, Mr. Satish Khanna, General Manager, Al Fajer Information and Services, said:

"Faster delivery time and cost-efficiency has made Dubai an attractive outsourcing destination for the global paper industry. This trend is set to continue further with more global end-users of paper, for instance the publishing industry players, shifting their sourcing base to Dubai from Europe."

The expo will cover industries of paper and converting and will be a launching pad for new technologies targeted at the Middle East region. Initial indications prove that the show has elicited strong response across the region guaranteeing successful visitor turnout.

"Paper Arabia is a pioneering exhibition covering a wide range of industry products from paper, pulp, paper chemicals to paper marketing. At Al Fajer, we have always looked at new sectors of the industry and the first edition of Paper Arabia is an endeavour to bring the industry to the limelight and its contribution to the regional economy," Mr. Khanna added.