Ahead of next year’s “Arabplast" (www.arabplast.info) fair, held in Dubai / United Arab Emirates from 10-13 January, the German association for plastics and rubber machinery, VDMA Kunststoff- und Gummimaschinen (KuG, Frankfurt; http://kug.vdma.org), has released detailed data on German plastics and rubber machinery exports to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states. In 2013, sales to the region fell by 12.7% to EUR 110m, the association reports, adding that the largest declines were registered in Qatar (down 73.1%) and the UAE (down 65.6%). At 60% of the total, Saudi Arabia continues to account for most of German plastics and rubber machinery shipments to the region, followed by Bahrain (23%) and the UAE (13.6%).

Looking at the figures for the period from January to August this year, it becomes apparent that sales to Qatar and Oman especially have picked up significantly, at rises of 298% and 380% year-on-year respectively. Business in Bahrain, by contrast, was not as promising, with German machinery exports to the country caving in by close to 40% over the same period last year.

The downward trend in 2013 was not limited to German exports to the region alone. VDMA’s data shows that global plastics and rubber machinery deliveries to the region contracted by 13.6% in 2013, reaching EUR 367.2m, with the most significant declines in the UAE (down 40.7%), Qatar (down 38.7%) and Kuwait (down 19.9%). Testifying to the importance Germany plays in this particular sector, VDMA’s figures show that German plastics and rubber machinery made up almost 60% of all exports of this type to Saudi Arabia in 2013 and accounted for close to 23% of all exports to Bahrain. In these two countries, VDMA says, German machinery manufacturers are the leading suppliers to local plastics and rubber processors. They rank second in Oman and third in the UAE.