E-commerce and food delivery are booming, and demand for packaging materials in the Middle East is rising

The surge in demand for sustainable packaging has prompted Middle Eastern companies to develop and produce new, safer packaging materials. "The shift in consumption patterns and the significant growth in e-commerce demand for packaged food, beverages, health and hygiene products have led to an increase in demand for packaging," said Apoorvashree Chaturvedi, director of UFlex, in an interview.

UFlex 's subsidiary FlexFilm Middle East makes packaging materials, which has a manufacturing plant in Dubai. Chaturvedi said: "Compared with the usual demand before the epidemic, the demand for packaging materials increased by an average of 8%-10% from January to September last year."

Abdul Jebbar, an executive in charge of UFlex's Middle East and European business, said the rising demand for packaging materials has also prompted companies in the field to develop new materials.

In addition to the impact of e-commerce, the rise of the food delivery industry in the Middle East is also one of the reasons for the rise in packaging materials. Hotpack Global, a packaging company, said that due to the rapid growth of the food delivery market in the region due to the epidemic, the demand for safe and sustainable food packaging has also increased.

According to Jebbar, the UAE food packaging market was valued at AED 10 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow to AED 14 billion in the next five years. It is worth mentioning that the presence of more international brands in the Middle East market has also contributed to the industry.

The growth of sustainable packaging in the Middle East has also driven the export of China's catering packaging products. According to data from Alibaba International Station in December last year, the export volume of disposable catering packaging products has achieved positive growth for 8 consecutive months. The United States, Canada, Mexico and other European and American countries have the largest markets, accounting for nearly 40% of the total export volume last year. Among them, the Middle East has the fastest growth, with the UAE growing by 135% year-on-year and Saudi Arabia growing by 110% year-on-year.

As many countries in the world put "plastic ban" on the agenda, the demand for recyclable and degradable catering packaging will continue to increase.

middle East