• UAE’s packaging industry expected to grow to over AED 20 billion in five years.
  • Sustainability and the ban on single use plastics propelling growth.

Dubai: The Middle East and Africa (MEA) paper industry is riding a growth wave buoyed by e-commerce proliferation and exponential demand in the packaging sector across the region, estimated to be a market worth around AED 270 billion.

In a statement, Verifair, organizers of the niche expo, Propaper Dubai 2022, which will run during September 20-22 at Festival Arena, Dubai Festival City, said the UAE packaging market is also poised for significant growth in the next five years to an estimated AED 21 billion quoting Mordor Intelligence.

“Propaper 2022 is taking place in a growth context for the paper industry in MEA as well as across Asia-Pacific countries  with niche segments like corrugated  paper board packaging, tissues etc.…  registering exponential growth, particularly in the post-COVID scenario.  The demand for corrugated packaging across end-user verticals such as food, medical products, pharmaceutical, and hygiene products, among others, have been on the rise with consumers taking to e-commerce channels with an unprecedented enthusiasm,” said Mr. Jeen Joshua, Director, Verifair, the Organisers of ProPaper Dubai trade fair.

India Participation

Under the auspices of FIEO- Federation of Indian Export Organizations, the apex body for Indian exporters,   a large contingent of 54 companies - the largest after the EXPO 2020 Dubai participation, is organizing the India Pavilion featuring multisector products under the banner of Super Sourcing Dubai 2022, looking at increasing export of Indian products to the GCC countries and the MENA in general.

The UAE paperboard market growth

With a high urbanization growth of over 86 per cent and increasing disposable income in the UAE, demand for packaged products continues to rise, in turn paving the way for more paper packaging solutions.

“The windfall growth in the paper packaging demand from the COVID continues to be driven by the health and hygiene conscious consumers, particularly in the food and beverage sector. Paper-based eco-friendly sustainable packaging solutions   also continues to gain in this context, Mr. Joshua said, adding that the corrugated board packaging market in the UAE is anticipated to touch nearly US $2 billion by 2025 as per industry reports.

The demand for paper packaging solutions have also been supported by the growth of e-commerce in the UAE, and according to Visa, the country’s online spend is the biggest in the MENA region with annual spend by averaging over US$1,648.

Propaper 2022

“Propaper 2022 has been conceived as a comprehensive trade fair for the paper industry players to showcase their products and explore the growth opportunities in this sunshine industry across the MEA and Asia-Pacific region. It is a unique buyer-seller platform which will facilitate partnerships, joint investments, market entry and exploration as well as increased sales forays for the participants,” said Mr. Joshua.

The show will host paper industry companies from across a wide spectrum, including corrugated paper board makers to paper mill machinery manufacturers to tissue and converting machinery, as well as printing and packaging equipment.