In promoting the upcoming edition of the Saudi trade show, organisers are stressing how the Kingdom accounts for 70% of the GCC’s packaging consumption.
The 11th edition of Saudi Print & Pack, at Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre on 17–20 February 2014, will showcase the region’s latest equipment and supplies for printing and packaging in what its organisers see as the Middle East’s largest and most diverse market.
Hani Habib, the director of the show, told Packaging MEA that Saudi Print & Pack will explore changing concepts and procedures.
“New challenges and opportunities have emerged as a result of the many changes that have occurred in the printing and packaging industries globally in recent years,” he said.
“New technologies and innovative products have led to changes in printing concepts and procedures. All this will be explored at the Saudi Printing and Packaging Exhibition 2014.”
Saudi Packaging
In Saudi Arabia, packaging is one of the country’s most dynamic sectors, he said.
Currently, the packaging market is seeing a shift towards plastic and away from metal and glass, as flexible packaging expands alongside solid packaging, he added.
Demand for safe and sustainable packaging is also growing in line with food consumption, which is expected to grow each year at an average of 4.6% from 2011 to hit 51.1m tons in 2015.
Saudi Print & Pack will feature manufacturers, suppliers and their local regional partners from a wide range of sectors including: filling machines, packaging machinery, consumer goods canning and packaging, design and manufacturing services, packaging supplies, industrial packaging equipment, paper production equipment, food packaging equipment and packaging materials.
Growth forecasts
The event’s organisers are also upbeat on the national market’s potential for growth, as they claim Saudi Arabia already holds more than 70% of the packaging market in the GCC and is expanding by 15% each year.
Saudi Arabia also has one of the world’s most stable currencies coupled with an excellent standard of living, said Hani Habib.
In a recent Ernst & Young report, researchers forecast robust economic growth for the Kingdom over the medium term and a successful diversification of economy.
In 2013, the Saudi economy is predicted to expand by 4.3%, driven by youthful demographics and buoyant expansion in the non-oil sector.
Saudi Arabia is now engaged in a multi-faceted reform strategy to become one of the 10 most competitive economies in the world.
To achieve that goal, the country continues to invest heavily in oil refining and in boosting natural gas production while striving to diversify its economy, create more jobs and spread wealth to different regions in order to develop its competitive advantage.
Saudi Arabia has started construction on four new cities with about $70bn in seed investment, designed to attract businesses through a world-class infrastructure, cutting-edge design, special incentives and streamlined procedures.
Hani Habib describes the country as undergoing an exciting transformation with an ambitious programme of accelerated growth and development.
Future deliverables include new communication infrastructures, new transport routes, state-of-the-art industrial complexes, dynamic training opportunities, and a commitment to greater business efficiencies.