JEDDAH: The GCC market for paper products is worth around $700 million, with the UAE accounting for around $400 million and Saudi Arabia another $220 million. By expanding to the Middle East, Paperworld seeks to enable its partners to better access and interact with this growing market, said Monica Kubik, senior show manager, Paperworld Middle East. While a large segment of the paper products market is driven by imports and re-exports, at least 30 percent of the region's paper products market is manufactured locally, she said. Moreover, she said the current drive for ecologically-friendly paper products fueled a marked increase in the demand for paper products from ecologically certified sources that are sustainably managed as well as increased use of recycled paper. According to recent research, demand for sustainable paper is set to increase steadily for the next five years. Currently the global demand for "green" paper is estimated to be around 16.8 million tons. This is set to grow at a CAGR of 6.6 percent to reach 24.8 million tons by 2016. There is also a noticeable move by publishing houses to increase the percentage of recycled paper in books and magazines. Beside, in a move to stress the importance of recycling, Epoc Messe Frankfurt has tied up with Remax - Europe's largest trade fair for printer accessory recycling - to launch their Middle East edition under the same roof as Paperworld Middle East. This aims to spread the recycling message in the region and to give leading players a foothold into this growing sector. Reports said the printer-accessory recycling industry has developed into a $6 billion to $8 billion industry. One third of toner cartridge sales worldwide are of remanufactured products and there are a growing number of recycled ink jet sales. Paperworld Middle East is the first-of-its-kind trade show in the region for the office and paper products industry. Brought to the Middle East by German trade fair and conference organizer Epoc Messe Frankfurt, the show is a development of the global Paperworld brand family, which is renowned as the trade platform of choice in this sector with the flagship event held annually in Frankfurt in January. In its debut edition, Paperworld Middle East will feature national pavilions from all leading stationery exporting countries, including Germany, India, Egypt, Malaysia, Singapore, China and Taiwan who will display a range of innovative products and designs. Based in Dubai, the trade, finance and logistics hub of the Middle East region, Paperworld Middle East will gain access to the fast-developing markets of the wider Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia and North and East Africa. The show represents the first foray into this emerging market for many leading brands, it also gives trade professionals from across the wider region a first-hand look at the latest developments and products that are the talking point of the industry worldwide, Kubik said.
