Paper-ME, a specialized and dedicated exhibition that caters to the ‘Paper, Board, Tissue, Printing & Packaging Industry’ in Middle East and African regions will be held from 8-10 November, 2012. The exhibition will be held at Cairo International Convention Centre (CICC), Cairo, Egypt. Paper-ME is supported by the Ministry of Industry and Foreign Trade, Chemical & Fertilizers Export Council, Business Owners Union in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation States (OIC), Chamber of Printing Industries in the Federation of Egyptian Industries, and Paper Wholesalers and Printers Owners in the Chamber of Commerce in Cairo, Egypt
Organized by Nile Trade Fairs, Paper-ME will enable international and Egyptian exhibitors to penetrate new alternative markets. Leading paper manufacturers and distributors will gather under one roof to discover the potentials of the Middle Eastern and African market. Organizers say that through the event, visitors and exhibitors can cultivate professional relationship with top level executives from Middle East & North Africa’s paper mills, who have the authority and budget to purchase products and services.
Alaa Shaalan, Chairman of Nile Trade Fairs said, “This edition will invite & host exhibitors and decision makers from Turkey, Cyprus, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, KSA, Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan and Sudan. Our main target at this edition of Paper-ME is to open new export markets and compensate the loss that we suffered due to the political disturbances faced in the Middle East, especially Egypt.”
Emad Shaalan, General Manager of Nile Trade Fairs guaranteed that the event will be a great success and confirmed the participation of a huge number of visitors. “There are more than 140 specialized companies from 22 countries that would be exhibiting this time at Paper-ME. The exhibition will be unique as it will showcase the most recent technologies and machines, which include the latest assembly lines in paper, board, tissue, printing & packaging industries.”
Egypt – A Growing Market For Paper Industry
The Middle East is a fast growing market with a population of over 450 million people. It was recently reported that the paper industry in the region generated billions of dollars with a growth of 20% compared to the international growth rate, which is between 2 to 6%.
Despite the growth of digital media, the annual consumption of paper is increasing rapidly in the Middle East. According to International Industry Statistics, Middle East and North Africa offers a wealth of opportunities for paper, board, tissue manufacturers and suppliers.
Egypt has a population of about 80 million people, and according to the study of United Nations the figure will rise by 1 to 2 million within the next 20 years. Egypt has one of the largest consumer markets in the MENA region. Egypt’s consumer goods industry has experienced exceptional growth over the past few years, making the region one of the fastest growing consumer goods market in the world.
The country is located in a strategic trade location, and occupies the northeast corner of the African continent. It is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley, and acts as a cultural leader of the Arab world. According to the World Investment Report, Egypt was ranked as the second largest country that attracts foreign investment in Africa. In addition to that, the equity market of Egypt is one of the most developed in the region. Its geographical location makes it a central trading hub that links Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia.
Despite the existence of paper mills and a growing paper-converting industry in Egypt, the country imports 78% of its paper and paperboard requirements, while only 22% is produced locally. Pulp, printing paper, test-liner, tissue paper and recycling paper are manufactured locally.
