The agreements reflect the ongoing investments in regional food and beverage manufacturing. The new filling lines are designed to expand production capacities for products in aseptic carton packs, spouted pouches, and bag-in-box solutions in India, the Middle East, and Africa. This strengthens SIG's role in supporting manufacturers looking to expand their local production capacities and build more resilient supply chains.
'Our success at Gulfood Manufacturing is particularly significant as it encompasses the entire SIG portfolio,' said Anne Erkens, CEO of SIG. 'It reflects both the breadth of our portfolio and the strength of our customer relationships. From aseptic carton packs to bag-in-box solutions and spouted pouches, we are ideally positioned to assist our customers in expanding their production, increasing their flexibility, and meeting changing market demands.'
SIG was also honoured at the 'Gulfood Manufacturing 2026 Industry Excellence Awards', receiving the 'UAE Industrial Excellence Award' for the 'SIG Product Innovation & Application Hub' in Dubai. This accolade acknowledges contributions towards enhancing local production capacities and strengthening the competitiveness and resilience of the food industry in the United Arab Emirates.
Opened in 2021, the 'SIG Product Innovation & Application Hub' is located at SIG's regional headquarters in the Dubai Silicon Oasis and is part of SIG's global network of Innovation & Application Hubs. The hub combines expertise in product development, food processing technologies, application testing, and aseptic test filling capabilities to assist manufacturers, startups, and entrepreneurs in turning product ideas into commercially viable solutions.
Through close collaboration with SIG experts, customers can develop and optimise recipes, validate processing and packaging solutions, and fill small test batches into aseptic carton packs and spouted pouches. This enables them to explore new product categories, reduce development risks, and decrease time to market before deciding on serial production.
Abdelghany Eladib, President and General Manager, India, Middle East and Africa (IMEA) at SIG: 'A filling line provides manufacturers with the production capacity, but it is innovation that allows them to develop the right products for the market. Our 'SIG Product Innovation & Application Hub' was created to bridge this gap. It combines expertise, technology, and collaboration to help our customers turn ideas into market-successful products. The award is a testament to the value of this approach and the work of our teams and partners in Dubai.'
'The investments we are currently observing in the local food and beverage industry are a clear sign of the region’s growth potential. The agreements signed at Gulfood Manufacturing reflect this dynamism and the confidence of regional producers in expanding their capacities and in SIG. We at SIG are committed to supporting this growth—not only through advanced filling and packaging technologies but also through innovation expertise and partnerships needed for building more competitive and resilient businesses,' Eladib added.
SIG, present for over 13 years at Gulfood Manufacturing, also presented six new concepts for ready-to-drink beverages, developed by SIG’s product innovation experts in Dubai. The concepts cover areas such as functional nutrition, protein drinks, hydration, and indulgence, demonstrating how SIG combines product innovation with advanced processing, filling, and packaging technologies to help customers respond to changing consumer preferences and seize new growth opportunities.
The Gulfood Manufacturing 2026 took place from November 3 to 5 at the Dubai World Trade Centre under the motto 'Powering Food Security Through Manufacturing Innovation' and provided SIG with a platform to consolidate customer relationships, unlock new business opportunities, and contribute to the future of food and beverage manufacturing in the region.
Your contact for media inquiries:
Heike Thevis
Press Contact at SIG
Tel: +49 (0)2462 79 2608
Email: heike.thevis@sig.biz