WAM Dubai, 31st Dec. 2012 (WAM): Germany and China are fiercely competing for a larger share of the plastics processing machinery in Abu Dhabi and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which together commanded 83 percent of the overall Gulf plastics production in 2011, against 17 percent to the rest of the UAE and other GCC states, according to organizers of Arabplast 2013, which will be held from 7 to 10 January 2013, at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre The world production of processing machinery for plastics is shared by Germany, China, India, Taiwan, Italy, USA and Japan. Germany and China have been fiercely competing for lead position of manufacturer of processing machinery in the world since 2009.

China and Germany together account for the bulk of the total world production of processing machinery, while India, Taiwan, Italy, Japan and USA command 20 percent.

Messe D?sseldorf Germany and Al Fajer Information and Services, organizers of Arabplast, the Middle East's premier trade show for rubber, plastics and petrochemicals, said that new versions of processing machinery will be displayed at the four day show and manufacturers will be eyeing the boom in the plastics production in Abu Dhabi that currently produces 3 million tonnes of plastics with an anticipated increase of 30 percent by 2015.

Satish Khanna, General Manager, Al Fajer Information and Services added: "Looking into the records of the processing machinery in the World from 2005 until now, Germany maintained its lead position at a time China, India and Taiwan doubled their production and USA and Japan cut by half, while Italy sustained its 9 percent share. We felt that more companies that are being investing heavily in manufacturing processing machinery, assisted by their governments, are participating in Arabplast 2013 to display their wide range of machinery solutions." Production of plastics in the Gulf region should be a key driver of the Gulf economy and form part of the economic diversification drive.

Khanna added: "GCC production of plastics will focus on catering to the Middle East's rapidly increasing demand that will emerge as the second highest per-capita consumer of plastics in the world by 2020." Arabplast 2013 will be 34 percent bigger than the 2011 edition, following record number of exhibitors and sponsors. The growth of this show reflects the high global demand for plastics and its raw materials as well as machinery products.

A record number of companies from 41 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. Arabplast will also have some 26000 trade visitors from 107 countries.

The show covers a wide spectrum of plastic machinery, plastic/rubber processing technology, pre and post-processing systems, plastic packaging technology, injection moulding, blow moulding, wrapping technology, extrusions, chemicals and additives, semi finished goods, engineering plastics and plastic products.

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