Against a backdrop of relatively improving regional economy and with the gradual steady recovery of oil prices supporting the Saudi government's Vision 2030 objectives, the 14th edition of the Saudi Print & Pack and The Saudi Plastics & Petrochemicals exhibitions kick off today (Feb. 27) at the Jeddah Center for Forums & Events, Jeddah, under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources. The Kingdom's largest industrial gathering will be inaugurated by Eng. Saleh S. Al-Solami, Ministry Deputy for Industry Affairs, at 3:30 p.m. The events showcase the industrial prosperity of the plastic, petrochemicals, print and packaging industries, gathers more than 318 companies and the participation of 20 countries. The gathering that will last till March 2, highlights the industrial and commercial opportunities to a specialized audience of industry professionals, decision makers and businessmen from the Kingdom, the region and the world. On the sidelines of these events, a series of seminars and workshops will be conducted to bring out the latest trends, researches and technologies that will further raise awareness in the optimal yet safe use of natural resources to protect the environment and the future generation. The Print & Pack exhibition will present the entire value chain, that is, from ideation to creation bringing to the forefront the full spectrum of the printing and packaging sectors; from developing new products and technology to creating packaging that protects food for a longer shelf life to digital printing's economic and speed-to-market advantages for mainstream package decoration. The exhibition will also extend its reach to a more comprehensive breadth of industries including automotive, electronics, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, drinks, and other fast moving consumer goods. All of which require good packaging, customization, labeling and packaging printing – to create attractive, cost-efficient and sustainable products in an increasingly crowded and competitive marketplace. Saudi Arabia's current share in the petrochemicals world supply is currently 6%, with the possibility of growing at exponential levels due to the Kingdom's hydrocarbons wealth. The Kingdom's plastics capacity is also expected to see a 3.2 percent rise per year till 2020. An earlier report released by Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association titled ‘A New Horizon for the GCC Plastic Processing Industry', said Saudi Arabia aims to rank among the world's top 10 exporter of plastics and create 17,000 additional jobs in the sector. Jadwa Investment in a separate report said in value terms, chemical and plastic exports from Saudi Arabia amounted to $30 billion (SR115 billion) in 2015, comprising a substantial 60 percent share of total non-oil exports, and the implementation of the National Transformation Program 2020 targets will help move the sector toward increased downstream specialty and end product capacity. The events are organized by Riyadh Exhibitions Company, and Kamil Jawhari of the company, said "the Saudi plastics, petrochemicals, print and packaging industries witnessed considerable growth in terms of production capacity and the associated companies are working towards enhancing their competitiveness through presenting latest products and services as per the international standards." He added that "in an attempt to target the main cities in the Kingdom, Riyadh Exhibitions Company organizes this show in Riyadh and Jeddah consecutively, thus contributing to the development process through giving companies the opportunity to communicate and network with their international peers that will facilitate knowledge transfer and to be aligned with government's efforts and vision." Jawhari further said "we look forward to set an exemplar by adopting to international standards while organizing successful trade shows that urge us to outperform in each edition for the best interest of our participants." — SG
