UAE’s fast-growing education, SME sectors ramp up demand for paper products, stationery, and office supplies

German companies are spearheading a European surge at Paperworld Middle East 2015, as the UAE’s fast-growing education and SME (Small Medium Enterprise) sectors fuel increased demand for paper products, stationery, and office supplies.

According to the latest figures from the UAE National Bureau of Statistics, UAE-registered school students grew 11 per cent in 2013, reaching 905,132 pupils, while the number of university students was 118,560 – eight per cent more than the previous year.

That combined with the UAE’s estimated 300,000 SMEs according to the Ministry of Economy, means demand for stationery and office supplies is expected to show healthy growth, with industry sources indicating the country has a total addressable market of 1.2 million customers spending AED 1.6 billion annually.

International interest in the UAE market, along with other fast-growing Middle East paper, stationery, and office supply markets, will be underlined by the 25 per cent year-on-year growth of the German Pavilion at Paperworld Middle East 2015, which takes place from 2-4 March at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

As the largest international trade and networking event for paper, stationery and office supplies in the region, Paperworld Middle East presents exhibitors from across the world with unmatched business generating and development opportunities in the region.
More than 15 high-end German manufacturers will showcase their latest range of brands covering paper, office, stationery, and back-to-school products at Paperworld Middle East, including HERMA, one of the world’s leading specialists in self-adhesive technology.

Exhibiting for the first time at the three-day event, HERMA will showcase its adhesive labels for a wide range of industries such as logistics, automotive, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, cosmetics and food industries, as well as for private users in offices and at home.

“The Middle East and North Africa are economically very important regions for HERMA”, said Thomas Goal, International Sales Director at HERMA.  “We have been present in this region since the 1980s but this is our first time exhibiting at Paperworld Middle East.   We expect the show to offer us the chance of making new contacts and expanding our business activities in these high-growth markets.”

Other leading companies at the German Pavilion include C. Joseph Lamy, Durable Hunke & Jochheim, Hamelin, Krug & Priester, OLYMPIA Business Systems, Schneider, tesa, UHU, Esselte Leitz, AMC AG, DOKUMENTAL, Max Bringmann, MSW, Lasertechnik, and Rober Kunststoffe.

Launching its new range of desk lamps from UNILUX at Paperworld Middle East is Hamelin, which will also showcase its range of nNotebooks, Notepads, Drawing Pads, Drawing Paper, Diaries, Binders, Files, Folders, Dividers, Pockets, Desk Lamps, and Rulers.

Meanwhile, Olympia will be looking to find partners and distributors in the wider MENA region for its professional office equipment product-range, from typewriters and cash registers, to big-button mobile phones and alarm systems.

“In Farook International Stationery, we already have a solid partner in the UAE for our product-lines, and we hope to find similarly strong distributors at Paperworld Middle East that gives us greater access to other Middle East and Africa (MEA) countries as well,” said Beate Rauls, Export Manager at Olympia.  “The MEA region is a rapidly-developing market for us with big growth potential.”
With more than 12 exhibitors, the Italian Pavilion will also have a big presence at Paperworld Middle East, while dozens of exhibitors from Greece, Portugal, Netherlands, UK, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Russia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, Serbia, Latvia, and Cyprus reinforces the importance of the MEA region for European manufacturers.

“Paperworld Middle East plays an instrumental role in bringing international stationery and office supplies majors in direct contact with influential regional buyers who are sourcing supplies for this very lucrative market,” said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the organiser of Paperworld Middle East.

“As EU bosses desperately come up with game plans to kick-start a lagging European economy, Middle East and African buyers are spending large, making this an ideal target market for leading European manufacturers.”

Paperworld Middle East 2015's strong international flavour will be further enhanced with the presence of the Sri Lankan Pavilion, which is returning for the first time since 2012, while other country pavilions will come from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, and Pakistan.

Since its Dubai debut in March 2011, Paperworld Middle East has grown into a trade and networking event of significance that attracts industry-wide interest from international and regional manufacturers and suppliers looking to strengthen their market presence.

Returning in 2015 is the Green Office Area, a dedicated section that showcases sustainably produced essential office supplies from pens and paper, to more elaborate items such as paper shredders.

Paperworld Middle East also features Playworld, presenting regional trade buyers with the world of kids’ toys, games, and children’s lifestyle products.  Wrapping up the list of show features is Wrap Star - the region's only gift wrapping competition, giving employees at regional retail outlets and malls a chance to showcase their gift wrapping skills to a global audience.