CPA, MCBG forge alliance to bridge circularity ambition, implementation

UAE – The Circular Packaging Association and the Multinational Companies Business Group signed a MoU pairing technical circularity expertise with a 57-company multinational membership to accelerate sustainable packaging progress in the UAE.

CPA chairman Mohamed Ali Eldabaa and MCBG chairperson Turki Bin Moammar signed the agreement, which commits both organisations to joint work spanning knowledge exchange, thought leadership, awareness raising, advocacy and structured engagement with industry stakeholders. 

The partnership draws on CPA’s specialist understanding of packaging circularity and MCBG’s roster of 57 multinational corporations operating across the Emirates, creating a platform where technical insight meets commercial scale.

International Best Practice to Be Mapped Onto UAE Priorities

Under the arrangement, the two bodies will review regulatory and operational experience from other markets and assess how those approaches translate into UAE conditions. 

This comparative work is intended to identify measures that are commercially viable rather than theoretically sound but impractical at scale. 

The organisations will also convene multinational companies and other stakeholders to discuss circular economy priorities as the country advances its national sustainability agenda, giving members a channel to shape discussion before requirements crystallise.

Eldabaa Frames Collaboration as Essential to Scalable Outcomes

Eldabaa said advancing packaging circularity demanded cooperation spanning industries and sectors. 

He explained that partnering with MCBG allowed both organisations to combine specialist expertise with the varied perspectives of multinational businesses active in the region. 

He added that sharing knowledge and practical experience would support informed dialogue and help produce solutions that were scalable, commercially viable and consistent with the UAE’s sustainability ambitions.

Bin Moammar Points to Investment and Supply Chain Decisions

Bin Moammar said MCBG members brought familiarity with multiple markets and regulatory systems alongside detailed knowledge of the UAE and its priorities. 

He noted that this collective viewpoint could connect circularity objectives with decisions taken across investment, innovation, supply chains and operations. 

He added that the partnership aimed to build alignment around practical priorities and create clearer routes from ambition to implementation.

Region Sees Coordinated Circularity Push

The MoU extends a pattern of industry coordination across the Gulf, following a separate agreement between CPA and the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association in September 2026. 

For packaging producers, converters and brand owners operating in the Emirates, the alliance signals that circularity discussions are moving toward structured, technically informed engagement involving both local expertise and multinational capital.

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