Ahmed Mohamed, Vice President of Sales MENA region at Cama Group explains how local knowledge, class-leading technology and exceptional regional support combine to deliver best-in-class packaging technologies to a growing and highly demanding region.
In this interview Ahmed Mohamed explains how simply offering a product or a service is not enough.
Are there particular regional market or industry challenges?
Of course, the MENA region presents both exciting opportunities and unique challenges, one of which is the need for adaptable packaging solutions that can meet rapidly evolving consumer preferences. There’s also a growing demand for more sustainable solutions, localized branding, and portion-controlled packaging, especially in the food and beverage sector.
Cama has seen significant successes in the region, what is driving local investment and expansion?
Many countries are pushing for inward investment, including Saudi Arabia and Dubai, where there is emphasis on automatic machines for packaging and other traditionally manual processes. Indeed, many local companies are buying automated machinery to reduce their reliance on human resources.
What do MENA customers want from their machines?
Like our global client base, customers in the MENA region are looking for efficiency, flexibility, and future-proof technology. They want machines that can handle multiple SKUs, accommodate faster changeovers, and integrate seamlessly into existing production lines. Reliability is critical, too, as downtime directly impacts supply chain performance. There’s also a growing interest in compact designs that maximize floor space without compromising performance.
What do MENA customers want from their machine suppliers?
Beyond the machines, MENA customers expect strong partnerships. They value suppliers who offer local presence, responsive support, and training capabilities. Being available post-installation and providing proactive service and maintenance is essential, too. Customers also seek suppliers who understand regional market dynamics and can provide customized, scalable solutions tailored to their specific needs, whether they are SMEs or large multinationals.
Looking at the events at which you exhibit in the region, such as Gulfood and Saudi Food, what technologies from Cama Group will be of particular interest to the companies attending?
This year our focus is very much on our advanced robotic packaging lines, which are known for their high speed, flexibility, and precision. We’ll showcase how Cama’s machines support Industry 4.0 integration, offering intelligent diagnostics, real-time performance monitoring, and remote assistance.
We have recently augmented our robotic offering with the introduction of our Automatic Carton Loading (ACL) technology. This comprises a collaborative three-axis robot that automatically loads the carton blank magazines on our packaging machines.
Offering even greater strength, reach and agility, it takes over what is traditionally a difficult, repetitive and onerous manual process. The technology integrates seamlessly with our machines and can be adapted to fit within available factory real estate. And for modern integrated packaging operations, it can communicate with upstream and downstream machines, so it can prepare to receive pallets transported by AMR (mobile robot).
Modularity and scalability are also key. Our systems are designed to evolve with our customers’ production needs and visitors will see how our technology addresses not just the packaging of today – but anticipates the demands of tomorrow.
Finally, what Cama solutions and technologies are particularly popular in the region?
Our IF Series integrated robotic loading units and BTG secondary-packaging platforms hit a real sweet spot. In many factories, automated secondary packaging is relatively new, so we often face restricted or interestingly shaped real estate in which to install our solutions. For this reason, our smaller monobloc machines, which are still capable of high-speed operation, are particularly popular.
These solutions combine robotic precision with modular design, allowing for flexible configurations tailored to different product types, from confectionery to ready meals and dairy. We’re also seeing growing interest in our sustainable packaging solutions, especially those that support plastic-to-carton transitions and eco-friendly formats.
