With over 100 years of history and a strong Nordic heritage Huhtamaki operates in 35 countries and over 100 locations around the world including 5 manufacturing locations across Middle East and Africa: UAE, Egypt and South Africa supporting affordability and accessibility to food and everyday necessities. Moving flexible packaging towards recyclable …
De-Risking Supply Chains via Integrated Manufacturing
For brand owners, packaging continuity has become a strategic requirement and not simply a purchasing consideration. Control Where It Matters Most Raw material volatility, freight constraints and changing regional logistics have highlighted the risks that arise when critical packaging processes depend on several external suppliers. Disruption at any point from film supply and …
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Paper packaging in transition: What MEA converters and brands need to get right
By Ben Daniel, Chief Editor, Packaging MEA Paper and paperboard packaging are gaining ground across the Middle East and Africa as regulation, sustainability commitments and demand for recyclable formats reshape packaging decisions. But replacing plastic with paper is not circularity in itself. For converters and brand owners, the real challenge is combining …
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From Cost to Engineering: The Strategic Evolution of MEA Packaging
Across MEA, packaging innovation is moving from visible change to measurable engineering progress, as lightweighting, recyclability, and circularity increasingly shape how packaging is designed, produced, and valued, writes Kaunain Shahidi, Contributing Editor, Packaging MEA. If you are a resident of the MENA region, or a traveler with a keen eye for …
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Spinneys, Sharjah Co-op and key retailers drive private label growth through packaging, sourcing strategy
Private labels across the Middle East and Africa are evolving into a central retail strategy, moving beyond price positioning to drive differentiation, consumer trust and greater retail control. Momentum is increasingly visible across UAE retail networks such as Spinneys and Sharjah Cooperative Society. In this feature, Ben Daniel speaks with Delfim dos …
Invisible Layers, Critical Risks: Why Inks, Coatings and Adhesives now define food packaging safety
In food packaging, safety and performance depend not only on the substrate, but on the thin functional layers of inks, coatings and adhesives. As regulatory requirements tighten and hot-climate logistics increase migration risk in the GCC and wider MENA region, converters and brand owners are focusing more closely on process control, final-pack validation and …
Flexo Rising: The new strategic engine of packaging in MEA and South Asia
Across MEA and Asia, flexographic printing is evolving from a cost-led alternative into an automation-driven growth engine, strengthening regional competitiveness through scale, sustainability, and intelligent manufacturing systems.By Suhas Kulkarni, Independent Flexo Evangelist There was a time when flexographic printing in our part of the world was spoken about cautiously — almost defensively. It was seen …
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2026 and Beyond: The UAE’s Single-Use Plastics Ban and the Reset of Packaging Supply Chains.
Laetitia Magentie, Board Member of the Circular Packaging Association and Director of Sustainability at Majid Al Futtaim, shares her perspectives with Ben Daniel, Chief Editor of Packaging MEA, on the significance of the UAE’s single-use plastics ban and the practical pathways shaping circularity in packaging across the region. Ben Daniel: To …
UAE’s 2026 single-use plastics ban reshapes packaging supply chains and market access
As of 1 January 2026, the UAE’s single-use plastics ban is fully in force. Introduced under Ministerial Decision No. 380 of 2022 and phased in from 2024 onwards, the regulation now applies nationwide. The prohibited list includes: • Plastic shopping bags below 50 microns • Beverage cups and lids • Cutlery (forks, …
Flexo. Digital. Hybrid. How integrated workflows are rewriting label production across MEA and beyond
Hybrid print technology — combining digital and conventional workflows — is gaining traction among converters across MEA. As SKU complexity grows and brands push for speed, flexibility, and premium finishes, hybrid presses are emerging as the most commercially balanced solution. I’ve seen firsthand why hybrid printing is becoming a strategic priority across the Middle East …