Paper is one of the Gulf’s leading growth industries

The UAE consumer paper and board packaging market is valued at $500 million comprising approximately 0.5 per cent of global demand, according to Al Fajer Information and Services.

The company organised Paper Arabia which was held in mid-September at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Lamyae Zafati, exhibition manager, said: “The UAE paper industry is witnessing dramatic growth due to the increasing number of manufacturers and significant development of the paperwork conversion industry in recent years.” The paper conversion sector includes producing all major paper products such as envelopes, paper bags and cardboard, among other things.

Newsprint represents 12 per cent of consumption of the overall general commodity paper in the UAE.

Newsprint paper includes newspapers and magazines, whereas general commodity paper includes office paper, notebooks, business cards, books, wedding cards, greeting cards and corporate and marketing collateral.

The newsprint statistic was released on the sidelines of the inauguration of Paper Arabia 2015.

Paper Arabia 2015 was inaugurated by Buti Saeed Al Ghandi, chairman of the board of directors, Emirates Investment and Development PSC, UAE, and managing director, Al Ghandi Group.

“We have noticed so many family businesses engaged in the paper industry present at the show today.

It has attracted the full spectrum of paper companies covering all the processes of producing paper from the very initial process of planting trees,” said Al Ghandi. “The UAE is now a significant producer of paper, and a chunk of what it produces is exported to neighbouring countries.”

Abu Dhabi-based paper producers Abu Dhabi National Paper Mill (ADNPM) and Queenex Hygiene Paper Manufacturing LLC (QHPM) were two main participants at the three day show.

The UAE is playing a key role in re-exporting paper and tissues to the entire Mena region. It is also a producer of paper with more than 12 factories based in the country.

Paper Arabia brought together players from the paper, tissue and converting industries. It offered opportunities to manufacturers and suppliers of finished products, equipment, machinery, paper chemicals and services to tap into the Middle East and North African markets.

“Paper Arabia proved to be a key platform for traders and industry players to interact. The show’s participants included leading global names from the UAE, China, Italy, Jordan, India, the Netherlands, the US and UK amongst others, which speaks volumes on the importance of the show.”

Al Fajer Information and Services said that Paper Arabia has positioned itself as an ideal platform for international companies to target the rapidly growing paper market in the Mena region.

“The paper industry market is growing tremendously, year on year, and new products are being launched on a regular basis. New companies are launching business in this field. Soft packaging is seeing high demand. Corrugated paper is being used for new patterns. Tissue paper is being recycled.

Green campaigns are running in most of the countries,” Zafati said.

Zafati commented that paper consumers in the world are looking at Dubai as an alternative hub for Europe due to its cost effectiveness and speed of delivery, making it a strong candidate for acquiring a lead position in this industry.

Talking about the tissues industry, Zafati said: “With the production capacity of paper tissues in the UAE being very high, factories in the UAE have plans to increase exports to neighbouring countries on the strength of advanced world-class machineries used in the production of these products.”

The exhibition also attracted companies specialised in packaging and recycling products.

Corrugated and carton industries were added to the line-up in the 2015 edition and leading companies in the field took part.