His Excellency Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, UAE Minister of Infrastructure Development, opened the biggest plastics, petrochemicals and rubber industry exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region on 6 January.
The exhibition, held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre ArabPlast 2019, illustrates just why petrochemicals are set to account for nearly half the growth in world oil demand to 2050 and are becoming the largest drivers of global oil demand, in front of cars, planes and trucks, according to a study by International Energy Agency (IEA).
“Petrochemicals, plastic and rubber are the key drivers of the economic growth for any country, and exhibitions as ArabPlast not only offer a strategic platform for participants and visitors to explore ground-breaking solutions and cutting-edge technologies, but also serve as a medium to promote international alliances and sales,” said His Excellency Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi.
Petrochemicals, components derived from oil and gas are used in all sorts of daily products including packaging, plastics, clothing, detergents, tyres and much more.
“Most economies rely on petrochemicals given how prevalent they are in everyday products. The Gulf has a high potential to grow, given the advancement surrounding the petrochemical industry,” said Satish Khanna, General Manager, Al Fajer Information & Services, Dubai, organisers of ArabPlast 2019.
“Plastic and the petrochemical industry is driving new trends around the world, including a growing number of applications in various cutting-edge, clean technologies critical to sustainable energy systems,” added Satish Khanna.
One striking feature of the show was ‘Sophia’, the robot who not only interacted with the visitors, but also offered quick answers and solutions for a variety of queries raised at the show.
The 2019 edition of ArabPlast has a record 900 companies from 32 countries represented, including 14 national pavilions. The show runs to 8 January.
