Al Sharq Flexible Packaging weighs Ferghana production base

SAUDI ARABIA – Al Sharq Flexible Packaging Factories has been invited to establish operations in Uzbekistan’s Ferghana Region following talks in Riyadh on 9 October 2026, with local authorities proposing a tie-up with Buvayda District converter Lion Print.

Ferghana Region Governor Khayrullo Bozorov met Muhammad Hussein Irfan, the Saudi company’s general manager for sales and marketing, during a working visit to the kingdom.

The regional delegation presented Ferghana’s industrial and investment potential alongside the conditions it has established for business activity, seeking to convert interest into a concrete production partnership.

Polymer Film Producer Brings European Technology

Al Sharq Flexible Packaging Factories, founded in 1976, manufactures polyethylene and other polymer films along with packaging for industrial products. 

The company applies European technologies in its processes, and its output meets international quality standards, serving both domestic Saudi and export markets. 

That technology base is central to what Ferghana hopes to attract, since domestic film production would reduce reliance on imported material for Uzbek converters.

Local Converter Identified as Potential Partner

One proposal tabled at the meeting was to build business ties between Al Sharq and Lion Print, a company operating in Buvayda District. 

The sides examined the possibility of joint projects to manufacture packaging products, an arrangement that would pair Saudi film supply and process expertise with an established local operator holding site knowledge and workforce access.

Packaging Tied to Export Competitiveness

Bozorov said high-quality packaging materials help preserve product quality, improve competitiveness and expand access to foreign markets, framing packaging investment as an export enabler rather than a standalone industrial goal. 

Uzbek agricultural and processed food producers seeking regional buyers must meet material and presentation standards those markets require, and domestic film capacity would shorten supply lines for converters serving them. 

The governor invited company representatives to visit Ferghana to review local enterprises and assess cooperation on the ground. Both sides expressed interest in continuing discussions. 

The engagement reflects wider interest among Central Asian regions in drawing Gulf capital into manufacturing, with packaging identified as a segment where technology transfer could strengthen domestic supply chains and cut import dependence.

Subscribe to our email newsletters that provide busy executives like you with the latest news insights and trends from Africa and the World. SUBSCRIBE HERE