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29 March 2024

Dubai-based printing press expands in Africa

Published
By V M Sathish

One of the leading printing presses in the UAE which survived the recession,has announced major expansion plan in the country and in African countries.

Delta Printing Press, part of the Delta Group of Companies, announced an investment of $10 million (Dh36 million) to diversify into commercial label printing and to set up new printing presses in three African countries – Ghana, North Sudan and South Sudan.

“Many printing presses in the UAE that were hit by recession and drop in real estate related printing are now staging a comeback. We are getting more orders from construction related companies. We have now joined hands with Kumar Label, the New Delhi based Indian commercial printer, to set up a flexography unit in the UAE.  A new company called Delta and Kumar Label LLC will provide flexography solutions in the UAE,” said Kabeer Jalaluddin, chairman and managing director of Delta Printing Press LLC.

He said the group has set up marketing and display outlets in Tanzania and Mauritius and is planning new printing presses in other African countries.

He said Delta group recently set up a marketing unit in Dar-es-Salam, Tanzania to cater to the domestic market. Plans are also on to set up more printing presses in the African continent, he said.

In the recently held Dubai International Print Awards (DIPA) held under the patronage of Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, in collaboration with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Printing and Publishing Group, Delta received nine awards in various categories, he said adding that a new marketing division of the company is being formed in Mauritius in collaboration with V Plus.

“A number of printing presses faced tough market conditions during the recession. We are now diversifying into commercial label printing. Other printing and publishing companies too are looking at such options to remain competitive and viable even in a recession,” Jalaluddin added.

While newspapers and the printing industry faced tough times due to recession and digital technology encroachment, the future of the printing industry is still bright, he claimed. “Our printing presses are working overtime now and the era of recession is over,” he said adding that a few printing presses succumbed to the recession.

“There was a time when printing presses could not accommodate all the demand from the real estate and construction clients. When recession came, we retrenched staff and scaled down operations. Now the bullish trend is returning to the market,” he added.