Please give our readers some background on the history of the Group and the vision of its founder Youssef Allam

 

Youssef Allam Group is an Egyptian company established by Youssef Abdelhady Allam in 1948. It started as a paper trading business and has grown into a diversified group operating mainly in:

• Paper trading and distribution

• Printing solutions (offset & digital)

• Industrial materials and machinery

• Media storage solutions

• Medical equipment

• Professional training through Print Media Academy Cairo (PMAC)

 

When did the Group expand its activities from Egypt to the wider MENA region? How are you organized throughout the MENA region to offer local sales and technical support?

As a part of long term growth plan YAG served markets beyond Egypt into the Middle East region as a part of its core business since the establishment date of the company (1948), and it continued expanding across The Middle East and North Africa region as a distributor and solution provider.

YAG operates MENA region through:

o Dedicated sales team and customer service

o Technical support and service engineers who trained well to assist customer with machine installation, trouble shooting and on going maintenance 

 

As well as introducing Heidelberg offset presses to Egypt, the Yousef Allam Group has diversified into digital printing systems. When did the transition to digital start in Egypt and the wider MENA region and what is the situation today? What future trends do you see for digital printing? 

YAG introduced offset printing to Egypt in 1968. While the digital printing was rising globally , YAG started to integrate digital printing technologies beside the offset systems to make print production in MENA more modern.

Today YAG offers a full portfolio of digital printing solutions including modern production and office digital printers beside the offset presses.

Future trends for digital printing:

o Larger adoption of digital technologies in MENA

o Unique printing experience and customization

o More automation and workflow integration

 

The Youssef Allam Group has diversified over the years to offer six business lines in the MENA region. Can you give a brief description of each business line?

•  Paper – Trading and distribution of various types of paper for printing, publishing, and packaging industries.

•  Printing Solutions – Supplying offset and digital printing presses, prepress systems, consumables, and providing technical support and maintenance services.

•  Media Storage Solutions – Providing professional storage systems and workflow solutions for broadcast, media, and data archiving sectors.

•  Resins & Industrial Solutions – Supplying industrial materials, chemicals, and machinery used in manufacturing and production processes.

•  Medical Solutions – Offering medical equipment and healthcare technologies to hospitals and medical institutions.

•  Professional Training (PMAC) – Print Media Academy Cairo, providing technical and professional training in printing and media technologies.

 

As well as Print Service Providers and commercial printers, which other groups of customers are you targeting? For example, in-plant print operations?

In addition to commercial printers and print service providers, Youssef Allam Group also provides services to:

• Corporate print departments and in-plant operations.

• Multinational corporations and banks require document solutions.

• Training centers, and educational establishments (for services and equipment).

• Medical solutions, it serves the institutional and healthcare sectors.

 

The Group's growing market reach outside conventional print houses includes these wider segments.

 

 

In 1999 the Group established the Print Media Academy in Cairo. What was the thinking behind setting up the PMA and how does it operate? 

Print Media Academy Cairo (PMAC) was established in 1999 as the local branch of Heidelberg’s Print Media Academy to support Egypt and the MENA region. The reason  behind establishing the PMAC is to develop skilled professionals in printing technologies and support industry transformation. It offers training programs covering printing processes from basic operation to advanced management, and custom designed courses. PMAC also hosts seminars, open houses and conferences to keep customers updated with industry trends. 

 

What are your future plans for expansion in the MENA region, both in terms of geography and new business initiatives?

 Geographic expansion across more MENA markets 

• Product and service innovation, introducing new technologies, strategic alliances (e.g., partnerships such as the Ricoh-based Aim subsidiary), and digital printing growth. 

• Diversification into new markets like medical solutions and industrial applications. 

• Enhanced customer support infrastructure

 

What advice would you give to visitors to this year’s Gulf Print & Pack show? What are the key trends and technologies they should be looking out for?

Advice:

• Attend live demonstrations to compare digital vs. offset performance directly.

• Engage with exhibitors about business workflows and ROI, not just machines.

• Look for training and support offerings, which are as crucial as the hardware itself

Key trends and technologies to watch out for include:

• Advanced digital printing solutions that offer flexibility, customization and short-run capabilities. 

• Hybrid printing workflows that integrate digital with traditional offset systems. 

• Automation & workflow software to improve efficiency and reduce manual errors. 

• Sustainable and eco-efficient solutions, including greener consumables and energy-efficient equipment. 

• Packaging innovations, especially in flexible and digital packaging print, which is growing strongly in Gulf markets.