The Navigator Company, Europe's leading manufacturer of uncoated woodfree (UWF) printing and writing paper, will participate and further develop business relationships in the region at the Paperworld Middle East, to be held next month in Dubai, UAE.

The event, a leading international trade exhibition for the stationery, paper and office supplies industry in the Middle East, will take place from March 1 to 3, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

As Portugal's third largest exporter, generating the most value added for the Portuguese economy, the company has proved increasingly successful in achieving growth in the Middle East region, especially in higher value added segments and with its own brands, accounting for approximately 30 per cent of European exports of UWF printing and writing paper to the region, said a statement from the company.

The company's stand will display its main office paper brands which includes Pioneer, Inacopia, Explorer, Target, Discovery, Multioffice and Navigator, the world's best-selling premium segment brand, which will take the opportunity to unveil a new addition to its extensive range, currently at the launch stage – Navigator Advanced 75g, it added.

The new product combines the best raw material for premium office paper - Eucalyptus globulus - with top quality recycled fibres, resulting in a 75 g paper offering top standards of performance. This mix of fibres makes it possible to maximise the environmental benefits of a low-grammage paper (using less resources) as well as reusing fibres, without sacrificing copy and printing quality, especially in daily high-volume copy and print jobs, it said.

The fundamental aim in taking part in this event is to build stronger ties with local distributors and improve the group's commercial performance, allowing us to build on the successes of 2015, when The Navigator Company recorded all-time record turnover of €1.6 billion ($1.75 billion), up by 5.6 per cent. Whilst benefiting from rising pulp and paper prices, this performance also reflected the group's strategy of business diversification, epitomised by its recent acquisition of a state-of-the-art tissue paper mill, further added the statement.

António Quirino Soares, marketing director at The Navigator Company, said: “Our growing presence in emerging markets, such as the Middle East, has been extremely important, especially in view of the huge appetite shown by the region for premium products and mill brands, areas where the group has its main focus.”

“This shows that there are excellent prospects for penetration by our products and brands in high-potential markets, such as the Middle East, Africa and Asia, thanks in part to the group's steady presence in the region over the last two decades,” he added. – TradeArabia News service