Tetra Pak Arabia aims to double UAE clientele

Tetra Pak Arabia, a unit of Sweden-based multinational food processing and packaging company, aims to double its customer base in the UAE from six to more than a dozen this year as the country is witnessing an increase in new beverage and dairy brands, a senior company said.

Speaking at the Gulfood exhibition in Dubai , Martin Fejk, Marketing Director at Tetra Pak Arabia, said: "We have major UAE-based beverage and dairy companies such as Masafi, Lacnor, Sadafco and other major companies; we are holding discussions with other companies and hope the clients base will reach more than a dozen this year.

"We got very positive and excellent response at the exhibition which is the one and only major exhibitions of this kind in the region. The way this market is growing, I believe Gulfood could be the world's largest exhibition."

He said the Middle East is one of the fastest-growing markets in terms of revenues and packages sold as its consumer base is expanding due to growth in population.

The beverage consumption in the Mena region is growing four to six per cent per annum, he said, adding that Europe, Middle East and Africa (Emea) region contributes roughly 30 per cent to the company's total business.

Total packages produced last year were around 160 billion worldwide, out of which 18 billion were produced in the Mena region, Fejk said. Tetra Pak, which has 165 facilities around the world, is building the second manufacturing facility in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore which will be bigger than the existing facility.

The new factory will open later this year.

Fejk said the Saudi facility is currently meeting the needs of region's clients, so the decision for the second packaging facility will be taken after approximately five years.

He ruled out that the family-owned company has any plans to go public in the foreseeable future.

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