UAE: ArabPlast 2019, the biggest plastics, petrochemicals and rubber industry exhibition in the MENA region, was held in January at Dubai.
Inaugurated by His Excellency Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infra-structure Development, a record number of companies from countries around the world participated at the recent edition.
Speaking to Packaging MEA, most exhibitors and visitors alike, shared a common futuristic vision and commitment towards sustainability, innovation and newer business models to suit consumer needs.
Commenting on the success of the show, Satish Khanna, General Manager, Al Fajer Information & Services, organisers of the show told Packaging MEA, “New products, technologies coveringa wide spectrum of new and innovative products were on display”.
“A striking feature of the show was ‘Sophia’ the popular social humanoid robot who interacted with the visitors, and offered quick answers and solutions for any queries raised at the show” said This is just a prelude to the world of possibilities that Industry 4.0 and HMI (Human Machine Inter- face) software application that would run the future industry machinery as well as smart factories”. Industry biggies such as Borouge, Tasnee, Orpic, Exx- onMobil, Tawazon Chemical Co, Enerplastics LLC, Basell Intl., Astra Polymers and many more displayed their commitment to innovation through their innovation and sustainability focused prod- ucts and solutions especially in the packaging space.
On the market outlook, “Industry experts at ArabPlast 2019 indicated that GCC countries play a major role in meeting global demands related to plastics and petrochemicals. This has not only increased the productivity of the industry, but also strengthened its growth. According to Ubhar Capital, shares in petrochemical companies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) performed better this year than in 2017 and the outlook looks decent for 2019. In 2018, earnings of GCC petrochemical companies stood at USD 7.57bn compared to full year 2017 earnings of USD 7.45bn, higher by 2 percent as reported by the Ubhar Capital report,” he added.
In addition, experts dis- cussed innovation strategies at ArabPlast 2019 as a key business priority, indicating that the advancement, improvement and modernisation of the sector is a top priority. A big part of the show also focused on preference for plastic bottles over conventional glass bottles by pharmaceutical manufacturers. It has been observed that the GCC’s spending on R&D and innovation has been significant in the past few years, with the industry implementing ambitious training programmes and collaborating with impressive research institutions, signalling that innovation is a top priority for any sector.” Khanna said.