Upcoming show could help processors find partners in Middle East

Processors keen to learn more about one of the industry's fastest-growing regions do not have much time left to book their travel as ArabPlast, the Middle East's leading trade show for rubber, plastics and petrochemicals, will be running from Jan. 8-11, 2011, at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.

The swift growth of the plastics industry in the Middle East is reflected in the strong increase in the size of ArabPlast, the largest plastics industry show in the region.  Satish Khanna, GM of Al Fajer Information & Services, which with Messe Düsseldorf organizes the show, told Plasticstoday.com that the show's exhibition space has been selling so fast that "we're almost running out of room."

The 2011 exhibition, the show's 10th, will be the largest ever, said Khanna, with exhibition space already rented about 25% higher than the 2009 event-and the event has seen such growth every time it's been held. Exhibiting companies already are lined up from Taiwan, the U.S.A., Turkey, Egypt, Canada, the UK, Germany, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, China, Switzerland, Spain, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, the U.A.E., India and Iran. About 25,000 attendees are expected; during the last showing in 2009 they came to the event from 105 countries.   

The Middle East already is a leading region for plastics production, particularly for polyolefins. The ArabPlast organizers recently announced that the Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco), the leading Qatar-based petrochemical supplier, has become the principal sponsor of ArabPlast 2011. The photo shows two senior Qapco officials (left) making the announcement along with Satish Khanna (second from right) and Jeen Joshua, AlFajer's project manager responsible for the event. 

Khanna told Plasticstoday.com that he and his colleagues are available to help arrange meetings between attendees to foster creation of joint ventures or other business partnerships.