Dubai Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Printing and Publishing Group (PPG) honoured top printers and publishers during a key award ceremony.

The winners of the Dubai Print Award 2007, which was split into 21 categories, were given gold, silver and bronze awards during a ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai, the organisers said in a statement.

 It is the first time that the event, which was held under the patronage of  Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was expanded to incorporate winners from all GCC states, they added.

“The Middle East’s printing and publishing sector is projected to be worth approximately Dh6.24 trillion ($1.69tn) by the end of this year, which represents a great incentive for companies to employ best practices, work towards innovation and remain attuned to customer needs.  We salute this year’s winners, who have shown their dedication to this dynamic industry, and we are pleased to witness the large interest in our event in light of the sector’s capacity for further growth,” said DCCI board member Hisham Al Shirawi.

The second annual Dubai Print Award, a pioneering quality benchmark for the Gulf’s flourishing printing and publishing industry, was established to recognise companies and individuals for their invaluable contributions to management efficiency, control, and technological advancement.

In addition to many high-profile companies winning awards during the event, six Country Awards were also presented, with Zabeel Printing Press winning the UAE Award; Dar Akhbar Al Khaleej winning the Kingdom of Bahrain Award; British Industries Printing & Packaging earning the Kuwait Award; Oman Printers receiving the Sultanate of Oman Award; New Printing Company triumphing in the Qatar Award; and Sarawat Printers winning the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Award.

Winners were chosen by a diverse and elite panel of international judges which included Thomas Kuen, Fogra Forschungsgesellschaft Druck e.V. Print Finishing Department Head; Nicholas R. Jung, London College of Communication Scheme Director; Karl Kowalczyk, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG Print Media Centre VP; Daniel Siegel, UPM – Kymmene Sales GMBH Technical Services Manager; Georges Abyad, proprietor of Georges Abyad Four Plus; and Hemant Ranadive, FCB Ulka India Production head.

“Beyond the awards, this event provides a welcome opportunity for members of the region’s printing and publishing industry to share their experiences and gain insights into important industry trends. It also provides an informal platform for businesses to discuss and debate on the future of the industry in the Gulf and in the Arab World,” said Ahmad Bin Hassan Al Shaikh, Modern Printing Press Managing Director.

“Our industry still faces a lot of challenges. The Print Award points us towards the right direction, showing how our industry peers have been able to overcome adversity and achieve beyond expectations. I believe that this event will motivate participants to spawn solutions and processes that will ultimately create a better business environment,” said Color Lines Group CEO Tarek Jawharji.

Winners of the 15 categories included Al Ghurair Printing & Publishing, Al Mawrid Printing and Deira Printing Press winning Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively in the “Flyers” category; Power Print, Zabeel Printing Press and Al Mawrid Printing winning Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards respectively in the “POP Materials” category; and International Printing Press and Color Lines winning Gold and Silver Awards in the “Posters” category.

The “Magazines” category was won by Emirates Printing Press, followed by Color Lines and Rashid Printing in Silver and Bronze positions; while the “Books” category was won by Zabeel Printing Press, with Emirates Printing Press and Color Lines scooping Silver and Bronze Awards.
Al Ghurair Printing & Publishing triumphed with Go