According to organiser Fairs and Exhibitions, UK suppliers have lost out to Germany, Italy, the US, Japan, Taiwan, and now South Africa and Australia.

The printing and packaging industry in the Middle East is experiencing 15-30% annual growth due to new laws, it added.

Organiser Clive Richardson said: If UK companies are serious about doing business where investment is consistently being made to diversify economies away from oil, they need to be at the forum where they can directly meet key players.

Printech 2000 attracted more than 5,000 suppliers and end-users from 40 countries and generated on-site sales of around 2m, with follow-through orders believed to have topped 8m.

Contact: 01322 660070.

Story by Rachel Barnes