RIYADH — On behalf of Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Eng. Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Eng. Saleh Al-Sulami, representative of the ministry, inaugurated the 15th edition of the Saudi Exhibition for Printing and Packaging 2018 and the Saudi Exhibition for Plastics and Petrochemicals.

Being the largest industrial gathering specialized in the plastics, petrochemicals, printing and packaging, both exhibitions will last for four days at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center. Organized by the Riyadh Exhibitions Company Limited, the exhibition showcases the latest local market trends and events, and host more than 426 local, regional and international exhibitors from more than 26 countries.

The exhibition comes at a time when the plastics, petrochemicals, packaging and printing industries are witnessing significant growth in production capacity in Saudi Arabia, in line with the Kingdom’s “Vision 2030". The country is moving towards enhancing the integration of refining chemicals and allowing Saudi Arabia's petrochemical production to be more diversified, specifically following the announcement by Aramco and SABIC of a $20 billion joint venture to produce chemicals.

It will handle 400,000 barrels of oil per day to produce 9 million tons of chemicals and essential oils annually and raise the petrochemical sector output from $133.33 billion to $453.3 billion by 2030, as well as non-oil exports from about $53.33 billion to $666.66 billion over the same period.

During the opening ceremony, Al-Salami praised the reputation and success of the exhibition, acknowledging it as one of the largest and most specialized exhibitions in the Kingdom and the region.

On this occasion, Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Husseini, executive consultant of Riyadh Exhibitions Company commended the support of the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources. He thanked Al Falih for his support and extended his appreciation for Al-Sulami, who inaugurated the exhibition which reflects the great attention paid by the government to such international forums, and the continuous development witnessed in the exhibition over the past years."

Al Husseini pointed out that this year's exhibition brings together all the poles of the sector locally, regionally and internationally, including the largest plastics and petrochemical companies, along with a large number of government industrial bodies from the GCC countries, providing visitors with an abundance of information on the latest developments and innovations for both the petrochemical and printing sectors.

Michael Laurier, CEO of Symphony Environmental expressed his anticipation towards explaining the benefits of oxo-biodegradable plastic technology, especially in Saudi Arabia where the government is leading the way in legislating for a cleaner environment. Symphony, along with their Saudi distributors Eco-Polymers will be offering free product testing for the duration of the exhibition, to ensure compliance with the new SASO regulations.

Bandar El Al Ajou, general manager in El Ajou Group Trading Co., said: “With steady steps, we move together in order to bring new and innovative technology and to be truly supportive in achieving the Saudi Vision 2030 by focusing on improving the workflow for both government and business corporates and setting our goals in line with the plan of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, who envisions the Kingdom as a successful and pioneering model in the world”.

“Deriving from our constant commitment to effectively communicate our plans, we decided to participate in this year’s Saudi Print & Pack event to allow the exploration of some of our distinctive solutions. We are driven to bring a unique experience with our participation and we hope you will be gratified,” he added.

Nahidh Safadi, general manager in Clariant Saudiarabia said, “We are glad to announce the opening of our Yanbu Plant, a state-of-the-art production facility comprised of 30,000mt of white MB with latest technology.”

Both exhibitions are an opportunity for engineers, industrialists, businessmen and entrepreneurs to learn about the latest technologies, services, products, machinery, equipment and supplies within the petrochemical, plastics, printing and packaging sectors.

Additionally, the exhibitions also present a range of printing and paper equipment and supplies, as well as packaging machinery, consumer packaging, packaging services, and a range of products including raw materials, basic chemicals, plastic primary compounds, as well as manufacturing and processing equipment, chemical engineering systems, petrochemical plant machinery, among others. — SG