Arab Plast strives to raise environmental consciousness and advocate for sustainability within the plastics and petrochemical sectors

Dubai: Arab Plast, one of the largest plastics and petrochemicals exhibitions in the Middle East and North Africa, continued its activities at the Dubai World Trade Center for Convention and Exhibition, where the exhibition attracted on its first day more than 8,000 visitors from around the world, an increase of about 10% over last year. The exhibition includes more than 11 international pavilions specialized in plastic, petrochemical and rubber industry technologies, with the participation of more than 750 Gulf, Arab and international companies.

Sheikh Hasher Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Media Incorporated, inaugurated today the Arab Plast at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Conferences & Exhibitions The 16th edition of Arabplast, the largest plastics and petrochemicals exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa. In the presence of plastic industry giants from more than 35 Arab and foreign countries.

Nidal Mohammed, Director General Manager of Al-Fajr Information and Services Company, stressed that this year’s Arab Plast exhibition aims to set high standards for environmental awareness and promote sustainability in various plastic and petrochemical industries, pointing out that the petrochemical sector is the “second” in the Gulf economies and the largest in the non-oil productive sectors.

More than 750 international companies specialized in the plastics and petrochemicals sector from 35 countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Italy, India, China, Austria, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, are participating in the 16th edition of Arab Plast, with the exhibition expected to attract more than 20,000 visitors in its three days, with a remarkable increase in the size of local companies participating this year, by about 40 companies.

Rashid Moubayed, Director of Arabplast 2023, said that the exhibition is a business platform between companies of an international nature that brings together experts and decision-makers in the plastics and petrochemical sectors.

He added that the exhibition highlights the latest developments in the plastics industry, recycling and modern machinery that enhance sustainability, noting that the exhibition focuses on diversification in environmentally friendly products, such as bio-based plastics and renewable chemicals, and reflects the role of industry in circular economy practices, recycling and waste management, which contributes to achieving a balance in economic growth.

Rashid Moubayed said that Dubai’s strategic location as a gateway to the Middle East and Africa makes Arabplast an ideal platform for manufacturers, waste processors, traders and entrepreneurs looking to expand their horizons and exploit new opportunities in the Middle East and beyond.

Environmental friendliness

Eng. Khalid Khalifa Al Kaabi, CEO of Eco Polymers in the UAE, said on the sidelines of the exhibition: “Our company was established in 2008 to support the plastics sector and we succeeded in obtaining an international agency for a special material from Britain, which converts plastic products into environmentally friendly products, and we have developed during the previous years remarkably and succeeded in exporting our exclusive environmentally friendly material to several countries such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen and others.

The plastic sector has proven its importance, especially in the Corona pandemic, because most products depend in their manufacture on plastic, such as bags, detergents and medical materials, and we are constantly working to convert ordinary plastic into environmentally friendly plastic, in order to preserve the environment and serve humanity at the same time.

Productivity levels

Yasser Al-Dajani, Vice President of Marketing and Commercial Sector at Tasnee National Company, said: “We are one of the first petrochemical companies wholly owned by the Saudi private sector and one of the first companies to participate in Arabplast, and we are pleased to participate this year in the sustainable version of the event, pointing to the increase in the number of visitors and specialists and the partnerships that Tasnee has made on the first day of the exhibition. Despite the challenges faced by the market in the past years, Tasnee was able to maintain production levels, as Tasnee was able in 2019 to work at its production capacity by manufacturing about one and a half million to one million six hundred thousand tons of polymer products.

Partnership

Petra Kalman, Director of Plastics and Rubber at Messe Düsseldorf, said: “We at the German Pavilion are delighted to be in Dubai again, which continues to develop and attract minds, expertise and creative trade exhibitions that enhance economic partnerships between countries and support various sectors, and we are proud to partner with the organizers of the exhibition this year, and I am happy that more than 40 leading German companies will participate in Arabplast this year’s exhibition who are showcasing the future of the industry in environmentally friendly ways.

The event showcases a variety of products, technologies and solutions shaping the future of the plastic, petrochemicals and rubber sectors in the region, along with the most environmentally friendly technologies that go into these industries, and reveals cutting-edge technologies in plastics, recycling, petrochemicals and related industries.

Experts expect the petrochemical sector to grow significantly over the next five years to reach 2,031.6 by 2026, especially with about 1,158 plants becoming operational over the next nine years in both Asia and the Middle East.

It is noteworthy that 95% of the manufactured products are based on petrochemicals, including electronics, furniture, appliances, packaging and others, making them important elements that contribute to accelerating the pace of the economy in all countries of the world.