Packaging MEA Forum on 7-8 March will gather the leading figures from one region’s most dynamic industries
Packaging MEA Forum, on 7-8 March at Dubai’s St Regis hotel, is bringing together the sector’s key figures in the Middle East to explore the challenges and opportunities of a sector undergoing massive growth and change.
In the Middle East, packaging’s expansion is outpacing the sector’s global growth trend with a 5% annual expansion over the coming years, according to a recent report by Smithers Pira.
Meanwhile, tightening regulation and a shift towards new substrates – especially flexible plastic materials – are
bringing widespread changes, said Benjamin Daniel, editor of Packaging MEA magazine and the event’s organiser.
“For Dubai especially, but also the wider Middle East and Africa region, packaging is a tremendous new growth opportunity,” he said.
“Global food brands are looking to localise production in the Middle East – and to establish new standards of quality – while governments are looking to diversify their economies and safeguard consumers’ health and their often fragile environments.”
The forum’s speakers and 200 participants are drawn from major food brands, packaging and printing companies, and suppliers of materials, equipment, and consumables.
“The forum will deliver insights from global brands such as Unilever, Carrefour, and Mars and leading regional
companies such as Almarai,” said Daniel.
“For the Middle East, the sector’s leading area is food packaging, which makes up almost 59% of the packaging sales here, compared with 40% globally. In the inaugural edition of the forum a year ago, one of the most exciting aspects was bringing together food brands with the companies that can meet their exacting production requirements.”
The UAE’s official interest in the sector includes promotional activities by Dubai Exports, which has helped bring local firms to a leading international trade show. Packaging in Dubai is also expected to receive a boost from Expo 2020.
The forum will feature days of presentations and discussions covering topics such as tailoring design to regional tastes, ensuring sustainability, and streamlining production.
To register, log on to: www.packagingmea.com/forum/