The MENA Region represents a huge market in the glass industry. The high demand for flat glass, float glass and glass processing machinery, aside from other glass products, containers, bottles, jars etc in the MENA Region and Africa, has registered a two-fold increase since 2004. It is believed that the ongoing economic growth in most MENA Region and African countries has resulted in attracting multinational companies who have set up plans and targets to operate and invest in these booming markets. Therefore, the strength of glass market growth throughout the MENA Region and African markets was clearly shown by the announcement of huge glass investments being built or under construction with a view to increasing the capacities to cover the regional demand and supply gap, as well as for export and re-export. It has been reported recently that experts believe that the future of glass production, consumption and imports in the world will remain in the MENA Region. Most MENA Region and African countries have to depend on overseas imports to fulfil demands within their own countries. The trend is to import low-priced goods from nearby countries and distribute them locally and regionally with a high profit margin. Egypt mainly depends on China and Turkey in its importing of glass, aside from encouraging Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in this segment.
