Jacky's makes an impact with Blaze SAHARAjet at Dubai Sign Show

The deal was concluded during the Sign & Graphic Imaging Exhibition held at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The SAHARAjet is a 3.2 metre wide digital printing system designed specifically for Middle East and African markets. It is designed to print for applications such as outdoor billboards, vehicle graphics, shop signs, POP displays, bridge graphics, exhibition graphics - wherever superwide format prints are required.

The on-going Dubai Shopping Festival provides current examples of how the SAHARAjet could be used, said Ashish Panjabi, General Manager, Jacky's Gulf FZE. "With the boom in outdoor advertising throughout this region, a greater portion of media budgets have been kept aside for the outdoor advertising market. With the support of Dubai Municipality, we have seen many new applications for digital printing. A prime example of this is the use of outdoor media for the Dubai Shopping Festival this year."

Jacky's became distributors for the Netherlands-based Blaze Technologies BV two years ago, and now represents the company throughout the GCC, Iran, Yemen and Pakistan. Among the products it distributes for the company is the high-performance, 5.0 metre superwide format, six-colour digital printer Blaze XLjet - which made its GCC debut at Sign & Graphics Imaging 2002. The SAHARAjet was introduced into the Blaze product line-up at Jacky's at the recently-concluded Sign & Graphics show.

The sale coincides with Blaze Technologies' recent announcement of the opening of a regional office in Dubai. Blaze Technologies is also, in collaboration with Jacky's Gulf FZE, to open a demonstration and training centre in Jebel Ali. The centre will become the demonstration and training base for customers from the entire Middle East, Africa and Pakistan. Customers formerly traveled to Europe for a first-hand view and experience of the machines' applications. The centre is expected to open by March this year.