The GCC annual consumption of plastics, which is presently 3.4 million metric tons, is likely to cross 5.5 million metric tons by 2015, with Qatar meeting the bulk of the supply, said a report ahead of a leading industry event in Doha.

Arabplast, a leading tradeshow for rubber, plastics and petrochemicals in the Middle East, will be held from January 7 to 10 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.

Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco), the leading Qatar-based petrochemical company, is the principal sponsor of Arabplast 2013 for the second time in a row.

Speaking at a press conference, hosted by Messe Düsseldorf Germany and Al Fajer Information and Services, co-organizers of the show, Qapco officials pointed out that a huge amount of plastics in different formats will be needed to cater to the requirements of the World Cup 2022 in Doha, especially since the construction and redevelopment of stadiums for the Mondial will kick off in 2013.

This presents an ideal opportunity for Qatar to domestically supply its plastics needs for the World Cup 2022 preparations, they stated.

In Qatar, five stadiums are currently in planning or tendering stages and these would need large quantities of plastics that could be partially or fully supplied domestically, they added.

Satish Khanna, the general manager of Al Fajer Information & Services said, “The petrochemical industry in the GCC began to evolve with the establishment of Qapco in 1980 as the first petrochemicals company in the Gulf.”

"The companies are aggressively competing to showcase their latest technology in plastics manufacturing at the exhibition. This is expected to give further boost to the demand for industrial machinery," he stated.

“Over the next five years, the Gulf's market share of the global petrochemical industry will jump to over 17 per cent and Qatar would remain a key player,” added Khanna.

According to him, Qapco is a major player in the global petrochemical industry with a strong track-record of growth and excellence.

The Arabian Gulf region has been the petrochemical hub of the world and it will become the world’s largest producer and exporter of petrochemicals and plastics within the next few years.

About 30 to 40 per cent of the world’s petrochemical requirements have been supplied and met by GCC countries, said Khanna.

Besides Qapco, the major sponsors for Arabplast 2013 include Borouge, Petrorabigh and Tasnee. The expo this year will be 34 per cent bigger than the 2011 edition, following record number of exhibitors and sponsors.

A record number of companies from 47 countries are participating in Arabplast 2013, a reflection on the growing importance attached by GCC countries to strengthening their manufacturing industries, including plastics and rubber sector, which are known to be more sustainable investments in the long run.
 
Companies from Taiwan, the US, Turkey, Egypt, Canada, UK, Germany, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, China, Switzerland, Spain, Norway, Saudi, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, UAE, India and Iran are participating in the show.

On display at Arabplast 2013 will be new products and technologies in injection molding, blow molding, wrapping and packaging, pre and post plastic processing techniques as well as raw materials, such as masterbatches, additives and polymers.-TradeArabia News Service