Business & Money | Monday 9 January, 2017 9:20 am |

ArabPlast 2017 kicked off yesterday (Sunday, 8th January, 2017) in Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, as HE Majid Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Chamber  inaugurated the show along with many other government representative, business executives and industry experts.

The No. 1 trade show in the Middle East in term of machinery on display and the leading regional platform for the plastic industry, will continue for three days until Tuesday, 10th of January, and will allow to get in touch with most advanced technology and solutions related to this sector, and provided by suppliers from all over the world.

After inaugurating ArabPlast 2017, which spreads over 9 halls, HE Majid Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Chamber said: “The UAE and Dubai are a global trade hub where manufacturers are looking to Dubai for the distribution of their products and the formulation of strategic partnerships not to mention gaining access to many vital markets thanks to its advanced infrastructure in ​​transportation, distribution, logistics and warehousing.”

“The manufacturing sector has achieved positive growth in 2016 in Dubai. World-class techniques in petrochemicals, plastics and rubber are being practised in the UAE and the wider Gulf. This comes at a time Dubai is always opening up new markets, such as in Africa and Latin America as well as it enhances the potential of existing markets such as India,” Al Ghurair added.

HE Al Ghurair said that many international petrochemicals companies have been headquartered in the UAE, due to the innovative visions of our leaders, our business-friendly policies and regulations and the several advantages provided to foreign investors.

Satish Khanna, General Manager, Al Fajer Information and Services, Co-organiser of the show along with Germany’s Messe Dusseldorf said the participation of exhibitors from more than 39 countries reflects the magnitude of the event regionally and on the global front.

He added: “The strategic position of the UAE make it an ideal place to invest in the petrochemicals and related sectors. Our show ArabPlast presents a platform to to tap new opportunities and support the petrochemicals, plastics and rubber industries.”

Jebel Ali Industrial Zone produces an annual capacity of 40,000 metric tons of granular compound and water soluble fertiliser, along with 200,000 metric tons of suspension and liquid fertilisers and has a capacity of 200,000 metric tons. Many investors have opted to use Jebel Ali Industrial Zone that is well-known for its logistics and shipping centre, which makes it much easier to distribute to a wide array of countries with ease.

At the opening of Arabpast 2017, HE Majid Saif Al Ghurair  was welcomed by senior officials from Al Fajer Information and Services and Messe Dusseldorf, joint organisers of the show.

“We are proud to launch the ArabPlast 2017 show, knowing that petrochemicals sector is expected to witness a potential growth.  According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), oil demand for petrochemicals is likely to grow by about 3% a year between 2015 and 2021, with petrochemicals taking a more significant proportion of the oil barrel; Also, new capacities being brought on the track by leading companies in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries,”  added Khanna.

“ArabPlast 2017 plays a principle role in connecting local decision makers with international machinery suppliers and also investors willing to create new ventures or to set alliances with the major regional companies,” commented Khanna.

On its first day, ArabPlast 2017 has registered a strong participation, bringing together 972 companies from 39 countries, and 12 national pavilions, an increase of 12 percent in terms of overall display area and 18 percent in the UAE’s presence compared with 2015 edition.

Khanna added: “We expect higher attendance compared to the previous edition. The show is getting bigger exposure and influence in a very organic pattern. Being held in the UAE, that is a regional hub that connects India and Asia to the rest of the world, ArabPlast is setting strong basis as one of the leading events of its kind globally.”

Given its high impact, giant players in this sector are being part of the biannual show as Borouge, the leading UAE company is the Principle Sponsor while TASNEE is a Platinum Sponsor.

Furthermore, the presence of influential decision makers in the show reflects its contribution in presenting potential partnerships opportunities as regional governments are continuously supporting the growth of this sector and encouraging investments in its subsectors. “Downstream plastic industry being one of them as the UAE is highly investing in five major industries including automotive, consumer appliances, plastic packaging, construction and metals processing,” said Khanna.

“The UAE enjoys 2 differential advantages over Asia and Europe that facilitates the production of petrochemicals: feedstock and logistics; which facilitate to attract new investments and alliances to the region,” Khanna concluded.