Dubai and Amman to be supply springboard for 'massive' Iraq packaging equipment needs

And Dubai, along with Amman in Jordan, will be the sourcing points to satisfy demand, said Ismat Allahwerdy of Baghdad's Al Hadhar Factory.

"Demand for packaging machines is huge because Iraq is still a very productive country and is now focussing heavily on the food production sector," explained Allahwerdy. "Packaging needs can be satisfied within the country providing we source the right equipment."

Allahwerdy, the technical manager for Al Hadhar, which operates a 1,800 square metre plant in the Iraqi capital with plans to further expand, was among Iraqi buyers visiting the PackTech International packaging trade show currently under way at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

"We are now in negotiations with Taiwanese and Chinese suppliers and have identified machinery worth at least US $100,000 which we want to purchase," said Allahwerdy.

PackTech Turkish exhibitor ANET has reported on-site sales of its filling machines are likely to top US $135,000 with the main deal being worth US $83,000 for the reorder of a machinery line by a Kuwaiti company. The Kuwaitis bought US $105,000 worth of machinery on December 20 last year and visited PackTech to place a reorder.

KSP Technologies of Taiwan sealed a deal at the show for two of its electro-magnetic US $7,000 cap-sealing machines. And on the second day of the show, which runs until Wednesday night, Taiwan's Kuen Yuh Machinery Engineering Co. Ltd, was busy quoting to a UAE company for a flexographic printing press worth in excess of US $200,000.

Meanwhile sales at PackTech International's sister show - PrinTech/PubliTech - were also taking off with China's giant CRON Corporation clinching a deal for four PVC coating machines to an Iranian company.

"This deal was worth US $18,000," said Wei Jie, Sales Director International Marketing Development, CRON. "We have had tremendous interest particularly from printers from Saudi Arabia and Iran. We are now seriously looking for an agent to represent us in the GCC."

Iranian buyers have been out in force at both shows with more than a 100 thronging PackTech/PrinTech/PubliTech on the first day.

"Demand is huge from Iran," said Ashok Galgotia, Managing Director of the UAE's packaging giant Triveni Trading. "We have had so much interest from Iranians that we have appointed a Farsi speaker to respond to demand."

Triveni was among a number of companies to make first-day deals at the show, with the sale of an automatic heat-sealing shrink tunnel, worth US $12,000 to a Kuwaiti buyer.

On the first day of the shows, PackTech/PrinTech/PubliTech recorded 1,669 visitors from 32 countries with the geographic footprint stretching from Turkey to Uzbekistan, Ethiopia and Georgia.

"If visitor levels are maintained we will easily surpass total turnout for the 2000 shows," said Dominic McGill, Project Manager, Fairs and Exhibitions (F&E), which organises the shows.

And with two days still to go for the 2003 event, F&E has reported strong early-day interest in PackTech/PrinTech/PubliTech 2004, which will be held at the Airport Expo, Dubai from September 19-22 next year.

"The decision to make the shows annual events, instead of the previous biennial cycle has been well received by the industry," said Sharla Hancock, Project Manager, F&E.

First to sign for PackTech International 2004 was Saudi Arabia's Heet Establishment. "We intend to be back next year with double the presence," explained Rafee Kharbat, General Manager, Heet Establishment.

The steel fabrication specialists signed up for PackTech 2004 just four hours after the doors opened for the current event.

"That's about as fast as it gets," commented Hancock. "It certainly illustrates our commitment to the packaging industry and Heet's tremendous loyalty to us."

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