A record 22,000 visitors attended the 11th “Saudi Plastics and Petrochem” (www.saudipp.com), held in Riyadh / Saudi Arabia from 17-20 February 2014. Organised by Riyadh Exhibitions Company (Riyadh / Saudi Arabia; www.recexpo.com), the event was held concurrently with “Saudi Print & Pack” (www.saudi-pppp.com). Some 520 exhibitors from 27 different countries showcased their companies and portfolios at the 20,000 m² exhibition hall. This year’s fair topped that of 2011 not only in terms of visitor numbers, but also as far as exhibitors and their background is concerned.

The fair is considered to be the region’s most prominent plastics and petrochemical event, and has grown in importance alongside that of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – for more details on the latest regional plastics developments, see Plasteurope.com of 14.01.2014. Its location in Saudi Arabia underlines the kingdom’s status as the region’s petrochemical powerhouse, with investments into plastics reaching USD 50 bn. Looking ahead, fair organiser Riyadh Exhibitions says, the kingdom is poised to become the world’s third largest petrochemical exporter, with a predicted market share of 10% by 2015.