Extrusion International 3-2025

12 Extrusion International 3/2025 INDUSTRY NEWS K, interpack and drupa on Expansion Path in the Middle East The industry's leading trade fairs, K, interpack and drupa, are fur- ther expanding their international reach by jointly entering the Saudi Arabian market. This step is made possible by the expanded partner- ship between Messe Düsseldorf and the Riyadh Exhibition Company. The Saudi Plastics & Petrochem and Sau - di Print & Pack exhibitions will be ex - panded to include regional editions of K, interpack and drupa. Saudi Arabia is currently showcas - ing the dynamic and diverse devel- opment of the Middle Eastern econ- omy. From May 12 to 15, the Riyadh Exhibitions Company (REC) hosted the Saudi Plastics & Petrochem and Saudi Print & Pack trade shows, fea - turing over 500 exhibitors from the petrochemical, plastics, print, and packaging industries. The flourishing trade fair quartet, whose exhibitor numbers have climbed by 70 percent since 2018, offers plenty of perfect touchpoints for Messe Düsseldorf. HRH Prince Saud Turki Al Faisal Bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of REC, and Wolfram N. Diener, President & CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to integrate Düsseldorf’s world-leading trade shows K, interpack and drupa into future Saudi Plastics & Petro - chem and Saudi Print & Pack events. For decades, K, interpack, and drupa have stood for innovation, in- ternational appeal, and strong mo- mentum in their respective sectors. Today, they continue to embody these values as they join forces in Saudi Arabia – a market with high growth potential – to harness syner- gies and create added value. Their new presence in Riyadh is a strategic addition toMesseDüsseldorf’s glob- al portfolio: ‘K Global Gate’, the ‘in - terpack alliance’, and ‘drupa global’ represent international reach across plastics and rubber, processing and packaging, and print technologies. Messe Düsseldorf GmbH www.k-online.de www.interpack.de www.drupa.de Acquisition SIKORA is setting the course for the future. SIKORA gains a strong strategic partner for the future and becomes a member of the Swiss MAAG Group. The MAAG Group is a leading international group of companies for integrated solutions in polymer processing and part of the Dover Corporation. Harald Sikora, Managing Director of SIKORA HOLDING GmbH & Co. KG, founded the company SIKORA in 1973. Since then, SIKORA has continuously developed, opened up newmarkets and has grown steadily. With around 450 employees in Bre - men and its 13 international subsid- iaries, the company offers innovative solutions and customized customer service. "With the MAAG Group, we have found our ideal partner for the fu- ture," summarizes Harald Sikora and is confident that the company is in capable hands: "SIKORA and MAAG are connected by more than just a strategic goal: we share core values - innovative strength, entrepreneurial spirit, sustainable thinking and the clear pursuit of long-term success. We are therefore convinced that in the MAAG Group we have found the right partner for further growth and to continue our success story together." Commenting on the acquisi- tion, Ueli Thuerig, President MAAG Group, said, “SIKORA’s outstanding products address similar custom- er needs in resin-related markets to ours, and its offerings provide MAAG with increased exposure to highly-attractive market adjacen- Ueli Thuerig, President MAAG Group