Okaz Organization, publishers of Okaz Arabic daily and Saudi Gazette, bagged the silver award in printing category of the Dubai Print Award 2008. The winners of the award, held under the patronage of Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, were announced by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Printing and Publishing Group (PPG) here on Tuesday. Gold, Silver and Special Jury awards in 20 different categories, including six debuting Digital Printing Maximum Size (A3) awards were presented by Abdul Rahman Saif Al- Ghurair, Chairman, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry to individuals and organizations that made outstanding contributions to the Middle East's printing and publishing sector during the past year. The 3rd Dubai Print Award drew a record number of participants, sustaining the tremendous growth the award has witnessed since the PPG opened up the competition to all Gulf-based industry members in 2006. Hisham Abdullah Al-Shirawi, 2nd Vice Chairman, Dubai Chamber said: “The Printing & Publishing Group is one of the most active of the 21 business groups operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chamber. We at Dubai Chamber have been associated with the Dubai Print Award since its inception and are once again pleased to endorse the third year of the award which comes as part of our commitment to represent, support and protect the interests of the business community in Dubai.” “I take this opportunity to congratulate all the award winners in different categories and thank them for participating in this prestigious award which is now a well-recognised project in the region. The printing industry here has developed in a big way and the Dubai Print Award with its 20 categories is the best form of recognition for the talent in this industry,” Al-Shirawi added. Ahmad Bin Hassan Al-Shaikh, Chairman of Printing and Publishing Group, said the larger number of participants shows that printing and publishing activities remain dynamic throughout the region despite the challenging economic landscape. “Hopefully up and coming firms will learn much from the achievements of those in more mature markets such as the UAE. We also expect our inclusion of the new A3 awards to motivate industry members to further expand their services and capabilities,” he said. Advertising remains a major driver of the Arab region's printing and publishing industry's sustained growth. First quarter spending in the UAE alone reached AED 1.6 billion in 2008, representing a 43 percent increase over the same period in the previous year. Annual printing and publishing revenues in the Middle East are estimated at above AED 6 trillion. The 3rd Dubai Print Award once again provided an excellent platform to recognize industry individuals and companies for their exemplary achievements in management, quality control and technological advancement.
