Saudi Arabia's thriving food manufacturing industry, urbanization and increasing industrialization in petrochemicals sector has spurred demand for the country's packaging industry, according to a high-ranking Riyadh Exhibition Center (REC) official. Kamil Al-Jawhari, REC's Project Manager for the forthcoming Saudi Printing, Packaging Sign and Graphics 2011 (Saudi PPSG 2011) said Saudi Arabia holds about 70 percent of the GCC's $2 billion packaging industry. He said the Kingdom's local sector is expected to further expand at an average rate of 4.58 percent from 2011 to 2015. “Saudi Arabia's 70 percent hold on the Gulf's $2 billion packaging industry is expected to further expand at an average rate of 4.58 percent from 2011 to 2015,” he said. Quoting World Bank's Doing Business 2011 report, he said Saudi Arabia ranked 11th out of 183 global economies in ‘Ease of Doing Business' and occupied top position in the Middle East. The Kingdom's business-friendly environment has spurred strong demand for printing, packaging, signage and graphics over the past few years. A resilient advertising base is another growth factor, with ad spending in the Kingdom increasing eight percent to $643 million for first half of 2011. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are perhaps the only countries in the Arab World where advertising expenditures have not dropped during the said period. Al-Jawhari said REC will organize Saudi PPSG 2011, the 10th International Packaging, Printing, Sign and Graphics Technology Exhibition from Nov. 18 to Dec. 1 at Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center. The event's participants will be introduced to local, regional and international visitors and the Kingdom's limitless business opportunities. The bi-annual business event is the largest and longest-running of its kind in the region and will gather exhibitors and guests from across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The participants will have an opportunity to interact with industry leaders, view the latest products and services, and gain a better understanding of real growth opportunities available at both the domestic and regional level, said Al-Jawhari. The event will showcase equipment such as commercial printers, package printing converters, paper production equipment, paper equipment materials and special printing applications. The exhibition will serve as platform for business-to-business participants and offer them opportunity to establish contacts with new and potential clients. Saudi PPSG 2011 – the 10th International Packaging, Printing, Sign and Graphics Technologies Exhibition – will be held concurrently with Saudi Plastics & Petrochem 2011 - the 10th International Plastics and Petrochem trade fair. __
