The 3rd edition of FESPA Middle East 2026 was a hub for thousands of speciality print and signage professionals to come together as a community and a chance to connect, explore new technologies, and learn new opportunities for their businesses. In this SPECIAL FEATURE ARTICLE extracted from the official post-show statement, WHERE To Print magazine reports how this year’s show reinforces the event’s role as the region’s most commercially focused print and signage platform:
FESPA Middle East has again confirmed its position as the Middle East’s most influential platform for global digital printing, textile, signage, and screen printing industries, with strong attendance from senior decision-makers, increased investment intent, and the delivery of tangible commercial value for exhibitors and partners across the three-day event. The region’s most influential event saw senior decision-makers drive record purchasing intent, reinforcing the event’s role as the region’s most commercially focused print and signage platform.
Post-show analysis shows that more than 75% of visitors held senior roles, including business owners, CEOs, directors, and managers, underscoring the high calibre of the audience. For exhibitors, 87% of attendees were involved in the purchasing decision-making process, with 50% holding final decision-making authority, ensuring that conversations on the show floor translated directly into real business opportunities.
Investment was also a key factor this year: 50% of visitors actively planned to invest in new equipment within six months, and 62% planned to invest within the next 12 months. This momentum was further reflected in budgets, with a 10% increase in average spend per visitor, demonstrating growing confidence across the regional print and signage market. The quality of attending companies also continued to improve. The event recorded a 4% increase in visitors from organisations employing more than 50 people, reinforcing FESPA Middle East’s appeal to established, growth-focused businesses seeking scalable technologies and long-term partnerships.
Bazil Cassim, Regional Manager (Middle East & Africa), FESPA, said: “FESPA Middle East 2026 delivered exactly what exhibitors are looking for, and that is access to serious buyers with real budgets and clear investment plans. The data shows a highly engaged audience, with decision-makers actively seeking solutions they can implement in the short to medium term. This reinforces the event’s role as a catalyst for growth and a platform where business gets done.”
Beyond the exhibition floor, the conference programme proved a major draw. Individual conference sessions attracted more than 200 attendees, with discussions on leadership, sustainability, AI, automation, and future market opportunities. The strong engagement highlighted the industry’s appetite for strategic insight alongside technology investment.
Sessions explored how print and signage businesses can future-proof operations and unlock new revenue streams in a rapidly evolving market. Highlights included practical leadership insights from the FESPA Leadership Exchange (FLEX), with sessions focused on scaling strategies, regional expansion, and navigating economic change, alongside business-led presentations such as Beyond the Hype: AI for Your Business, which examined real-world applications of artificial intelligence across print operations.
Sustainability was a central pillar of the programme, with strong attendance at sessions such as Embedding Sustainability into Workplace Culture, which explored how organisations can align teams, processes, and values to support long-term environmental commitments. Design-led discussions, including Storytelling via Design: Crafting a Seamless Experience, addressed the growing role of print and signage in creating meaningful brand environments.
Automation and future-ready production were also key focus areas, with a session titled “Future-Proofed Print: Steps Towards Automation”, which examined how workflow optimisation, automation, and data-driven decision-making can improve efficiency, reduce waste, and strengthen long-term business resilience.
“The conference programme is designed to act as a knowledge platform for the region, bringing together global insight, regional perspective, and real-world application. The strong engagement we saw across the sessions reflects a market that is not only investing in equipment, but actively seeking the strategic thinking, skills, and understanding needed to build resilient, future-ready businesses,” added Cassim.
FESPA Middle East will return to the Dubai Exhibition Centre in 2027, taking place from 12 to 14 January.
For more information, visit www.fespamiddleeast.com
About FESPA
Founded in 1962, FESPA is a global federation of Associations for the screen printing, digital printing, and textile printing community. FESPA’s dual aim is to promote screen printing and digital imaging and to share knowledge about screen and digital printing with its members across the world, helping them to grow their businesses and learn about the latest developments in their fast-growing industries.
FESPA Profit for Purpose
Profit for Purpose is FESPA’s international reinvestment programme, which uses revenue from FESPA events to support the global speciality print community to achieve sustainable and profitable growth through four key pillars – education, inspiration, expansion, and connection. The programme delivers high-quality products and services for printers worldwide, including market research, seminars, summits, congresses, educational guides and features, in addition to supporting grassroots projects in developing markets. For more information, visit www.fespa.com/en/about/profit-for-purpose.
Forthcoming FESPA events include:
- FESPA FLEX 2026, 24-27 November, Riyadh, Jeddah, Amman, and Cairo
- FESPA Global Print Expo 2026, 19-22 May, Fira Barcelona
- European Sign Expo 2026, 19-22 May, Fira Barcelona
- Personalisation Experience 2026, 19-22 May, Fira Barcelona
- Wrapfest 2026, 26-27 June, Bicester Heritage, UK
