Saudi Arabia is one of the largest markets for the packaging industry in the Middle Eastern region. The country has a huge consumer base and wide range of industrial activities (apart from the oil and gas sector), adding to the rapid growth in the demand for plastic packaging from the country, every year. The low crude oil price situation in the global market realized the need for a stronger non-oil sector. To strengthen the country’s non-oil sector, Saudi Arabia has been implementing several initiatives and regulatory reforms, such as National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP), Vision 2030, etc., that may increase the industrial production in the region. This is creating considerable demand for packaging products from the region’s non-oil sector. According to the recent data from the Saudi Industrial Fund (SIDF), a significant shift in the development of the industrial sector is indicated by the massive change in the country’s sectoral composition. The SDIF suggests that share of manufacturing industries (other than oil refining) in the manufacturing GDP increased from 32% in 1974 (at constant prices), to 70% at the end of 2018.

Automotive lightweight materials have been witnessing robust growth during the past couple of years, due to the increasing demand for luxurious, low-on-emission, safe, and high-performance vehicles. As a result, suppliers and manufacturers have introduced various solutions that not only help OEMs meet continually tightening regulations, but also satisfy the widening range of consumer personal taste. TPVs have superior strength, high-temperature mechanical properties, hot oil and solvent resistance, and better compression set than partially-cured material. These materials are blends of elastomers, typically rubbers, including EPDM, EPR, SBS, polybutadiene (BR), or butyl rubber (IIR), dispersed in a relatively small amount of thermoplastic matrix, typically polyethylene or polypropylene. Thermoplastic vulcanizates contain 60-70% EPDM and 30-40% impact polypropylene. Typical TPV applications in the automotive industry include hose coverings, gaskets, seals, convoluted boots, vibration dampeners, air inlet duct covers, bushings, strut covers, ignition components, and window seals. Cost is the biggest advantage, with TPVs being 10-30% lower than EPDM, coupled with lower weight, improved design flexibility, and recyclability. Furthermore, the light weight of TPV enables more fuel-efficient vehicles. Every 10% reduction in vehicle weight is estimated to result in a 5-7% reduction in fuel usage.