The Middle East printing market, which was estimated at $5.3 billion in 2007, is likely to see an average 7.7 per cent annual growth rate till 2012,

The market will swell to $7.6 billion, according to Pira International, the leading information provider for the printing, paper, packaging and publishing industries.

Massive growth in the global and Middle Eastern printing and packaging industries has led organisers of the 2009 Gulf Pack and Gulf Print exhibitions, the region’s leading tradeshows for the print, publishing and packaging sectors, to tip the upcoming events as being the largest in their history.

According to Fairs & Exhibitions (F&E) - one of the region’s exhibition and conference organisers and the company behind the biennial Gulf Print & Gulf Pack shows, which will run from the 6-9th April 2009 at the Airport Expo Dubai, growth in advertising, publishing and consumer spending across the Middle East’s food and beverage markets, is driving the industry forward at a staggering rate.

“Market statistics are phenomenal and the potential for growth is equally as impressive,” said Sue Rothwell of F&E.

“The packaging and printing industries transcend many others and consumer spending, whether it is through advertising or drink consumption, is on the rise and is having a direct knock on effect for the industry. As such, this growth is attracting the attention of many of the world’s top manufacturers and suppliers of packaging and printing technology and machinery.

“Our 2007 outing was the biggest to date and confirmed the exhibitions’ standings as the fastest growing events of their kind in the world. With the coming years’ predicted industry growth rates, we expect the 2009 shows to surpass these records and become the largest yet.”

The regional printing market’s end-users, which primarily include publishing, commercial printing and package printing, are key factors in industry development. Packing printing accounted for the lion’s share of business in 2007 with a 41.8pc market catchment, followed by the print advertising, commercial printing and newspapers sectors accounting for a combined share of 33pc percent, the organisers said.

And the region’s packaging industry is expected to follow suit with suggested growth figures predicted by Dubai-based management consultants, IMES, forecasting that the UAE alone is expecting 15-20 percent annual increases in packaging categories such as dairy, soft drinks and flexible packaging, they added.

“The Middle East is one of the fastest growing markets in the world for packaging and printing and is at the apex between the Western and Eastern markets. Gulf Pack & Gulf Print leverages this unique positioning by attracting manufacturers and distributors within the packaging and printing domain from across the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the US,” said Rothwell.

“These events provide a highly cost-effective and dynamic sales and marketing platform to promote the latest industry trends to the largest trade audience anywhere in the Middle East.”

The company also announced plans to hold a four-day thought-leadership conference along with the exhibitions to further boost content delivery and knowledge flow. 

To be chaired by well-known ‘industry heavyweights’, the sessions will cover the latest trends facing the industry including the growth of the newspaper industry in the Middle East, new trends in technology, security and counterfeiting in printing and packaging and education and training, the organisers said.

“Gulf Pack & Gulf Print are being positioned as significant knowledge platforms for the regional industry with a dedicated programme of seminars and conferences running in parallel to the exhibitions. These educational sessions will debate industry related topics and help the market keep abreast of the latest trends and products,” said Gulf<