EDANA, the leading association serving the nonwovens and related industries, last week welcomed over 200 delegates from more than 100 companies to Dubai for the fourth edition of Middle East & North Africa Symposium, the region’s premier conference for the nonwovens industry.

The symposium and exhibition featured expert analysis on market outlook, product innovation, demographic trends and sustainability initiatives over the two-day event, with dedicated sessions on geotextiles, raw material trends and nonwovens in the health sector.

Feedback from participants throughout the event emphasised satisfaction with the support provided to the industry and the many opportunities to meet with peers, the association reports.

“This symposium has recognised the importance of the MENA region for the nonwovens industry and allowed my team and me to meet many of our customers in a friendly, informative and efficient way. The diverse range of presentations and delegates has helped further cement the region as a growth generator for the industry,” said Haitham Alhudhaif, President of Saudi German Co. for Nonwoven Products.

Mahdy Katbe, CEO of Unicharm Gulf Hygienic Industries, echoed these sentiments. “EDANA's 4th MENA Symposium reaffirms their commitment to supporting multiple industries and areas. For the MENA region, one of the world's most promising, EDANA's resources are proving to be solid support pillars for the industry itself, the regulatory framework and end users,” he said.

Other delegates highlighted the mix of insight and industry updates provided by such a gathering. “All the nonwoven symposia I have joined over the years have always surpassed my expectations and Dubai is no exception. Listening to ideas and challenges in unrelated application fields remains and inspiring source for fresh ideas,” said Ludwig Busam, Director Global Material Development & Supply Baby Care at Procter & Gamble.

Silke Brand-Kirsch, Executive Partner at Schlegel & Partners concurred, adding that “the symposium has been a useful source of both inspirational knowledge, and technical innovations from expert speakers”.

“In addition to providing another successful platform for business development in the region, EDANA concurrently held its first ever board meeting outside of Europe here in Dubai, a testament to our reach and commitment to cater to the needs of our members and their markets,” concluded Pierre Wiertz, General Manager of EDANA.

www.edana.org