Inayat-ur-Rahman, Business Editor

The Gulf Print & Pack 2022, the Middle East and North Africa’s leading trade show for the commercial and package printing industries opened its doors at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Tuesday.

The show was opened by Sheikh Hasher Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, Director-General of the Dubai Department of Information.  

Exhibitors commented on the quality of visitors as well as the numbers and the more international outlook of the event.

Barry Killengrey, Event Director of Gulf Print & Pack 2022, commented, “We are delighted with attendance at the first day of GPP. Pre-registration is double that of the previous edition of GPP, demonstrating the eagerness of the MEA print community to reconnect in person. We have also noticed a rise in the number of international visitors from outside the Middle East region.”

Highlights of the first day of GPP 2022 included the global launch of the Canon imagePRESS V1000. Other leading graphic arts manufacturers at the show include Heidelberg, Ricoh, Kodak, Konica Minolta and Xerox.

 “It has been amazing to see our peers, partners and customers from all over the region, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar at GPP, after 2 years of virtual meetings. The pandemic has really impacted the way businesses operate and changed the printing and packaging landscape - in particular it has accelerated certain trends, including digital printing and our top priority is to help customers better navigate the changing landscape and operate efficiently in a post pandemic reality.

Through our presence at GPP we are showcasing the depth of our portfolio and are very excited to set a new benchmark in production print, with the successful Middle East launch of the all new imagePRESS V1000. The needs of our customers have always been central to our business philosophy, and we have ensured that we are able to demonstrate the practical applications, benefits and technical capabilities of our products at GPP.