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The second edition of FESPA Middle East welcomed more than 2,700 professionals from 80 countries, an 8% rise over last year
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Over 100 exhibiting companies, an 8% increase from the 2024 edition, took part in the event, which featured more than 200 brands
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This year’s show explored the latest innovation and technology with a focus on personalisation, sustainability and future visions, supported by a free, three-day conference programme
More than 3,400 visits from over 2,700 industry professionals from 80 countries attended the second edition of FESPA Middle East, the region’s leading event for the global speciality print and signage industries, which took place at the Dubai Exhibition Centre from 20 – 22 January.
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FESPA Middle East Celebrates Year-on-year Visitor Growth Following the Events Debut in 2024
This represents an 8% year-on-year increase in attendees compared to FESPA Middle East’s debut event in 2024, setting a new record for the show and demonstrating the strength and demand from the regional and international printing and signage sector which includes print service providers and sign-makers to visual communication specialists and textile-related professionals.
The event, which was officially opened by His Highness Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, welcomed high-level decision-makers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, India and China, amongst others, where they had the opportunity to witness over 100 exhibiting companies, a year-on-year increase of 8%, with more than 200 brands being showcased.
Bazil Cassim, Regional Manager (Middle East & Africa), FESPA, said, “The overwhelming response to the second edition of FESPA Middle East has underscored the growing demand for events of this calibre for the print and signage sectors. Throughout the three-day exhibition, we welcomed an exceptional gathering of industry professionals from across the globe, reinforcing FESPA’s position as the premier platform for innovation, collaboration, and business growth in the speciality print and signage industries.”
“The year-on-year growth in exhibitor participation and visitor numbers highlights the growing influence of FESPA Middle East as a must-attend event for the region. This success underscores our commitment to driving industry advancements, fostering new opportunities, and delivering a world-class showcase of cutting-edge print and signage technologies.”
One of the major trends at this year’s exhibition was the increase in direct-to-film (DTF) technology, which involves printing design directly onto a film and then transferring it to a t-shirt or other material. There was also the introduction of additive manufacturing and 3D printing, highlighting the shift to more advanced technology.
Several key launches and regional debuts took place, including the Massivit 3D printer, an industrial system for the automotive, marine and railways, and the Kornit Digital Textile Printers, a single-step direct-to-fabric printing solution. The double side Super Wide format printing was also a show stopper with Yaslan’s 5.5m wide UV Printer.
A significant part of the exhibition offering was the well-attended free, three-day conference programme, which included the FESPA Leadership Exchange (FLEX), the sessions addressed topics surrounding business intelligence, new technology, the future vision of the industry in addition to personalisation and sustainability, led by industry heavyweights including Richard Askam, the man behind Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke Campaign; Professor George Simonian, Dean at the BADR University; Amit Radia, CEO, Atlas Group; Prasanna Naidu, General Manager, Veesham Printing Press; Gianmauro Vella, PepsiCo; and Kumail Khalfan, CEO, Sign Works.
Other highlights during the exhibition included the highly anticipated World Wrap Masters competition, part of an international series that combines top talent in vehicle wrapping and creative vinyl applications, offering a unique layer of skill and excitement to the show, with 16 competitors battling for the title of Wrap Master – Middle East. This year’s winner was Vit Simek from the Czech Republic, who will now go on to compete in the final taking place at the FESPA Global Print Expo in Berlin in May.
The Sustainability Spotlight stand attracted sustainability champions from government and semi-government entities in the UAE and professionals from the industry. As part of the showcase, the latest products supporting sustainable printing and business practices and a range of informative conference sessions outlining a greener future were highlighted.
Rounding out the show was the Asian Association members of FESPA, who gathered during the show as part of the FESPA ASEAN meeting. Association Presidents and members from Australia, Japan, Thailand, Korea, India, Nepal and China were all present to discuss the latest trends in the market.
Exhibitors highlighted the value of the event, particularly when keeping abreast of the latest developments, Danna Drion, Marketing Manager, Mimaki, said, “If you want to be aware of all the new and most important innovation in digital print and you don’t want to miss anything, then you definitely need to go to FESPA Middle East and participate.”
This sentiment was echoed by Mehdi Berrada-Baby, Managing Director, Icon Digital, who said, “Our experience with FESPA has always been fantastic, we participate at many of the FESPA shows around the world. FESPA Middle East 2025 has improved on the inaugural event, and we believe that it will continue to grow. It’s the most professional organisation for speciality printing exhibitions.”
As a global federation of associations for the digital printing, textile and screen printing community, FESPA is a non-profit organisation that has reinvested US$9 million into the printing industry worldwide since 2015 through its Profit for Purpose programme.
The next edition of FESPA Middle East will take place from 13 -15 January 2026 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre.
For more information, please go to www.fespamiddleeast.com.