MENA interior design firms 'must set up new syndicate'

Lebanon-based Harmouch Interior Design has called for the setting up of a syndicate within interior design segment to maximise the sector’s full potentials.

A leading player in the region, Harmouch Interior Design caters to the hospitality sector besides banks, schools and apartments in Lebanon.

The call comes at a time when a recent study conducted by the Design Education Outlook has projected that Middle East and North Africa region's (Mena) overall design industry will hit the $55-billion mark by this year.

Known as the design capital of the Mena region, Beirut has long been the centre of vibrant and value-added creative and innovative activities.

It is home to admired designers across various disciplines, including architects and interior designers, but the local industry is still in need of a major boost to take it to the next level.

It is against this backdrop that Harmouch Interior Design has made its call for the formation of a syndicate within the multifaceted space design segment in Beirut and the whole of Lebanon, said the top designer.

Such a move will not only make the sector more regulated and developed but it will also be an opportunity to highlight its role in building a flourishing local society by leveraging the people’s creative capabilities and unique design power, it added.

Masoud Madkour, senior architect at Harmouch Interior Design, said: "By forming a nationally recognized group of interior designers in the country, we will be able to muster enough local, regional, and global support for Lebanese professionals in this important field."

"Together, we can showcase the industry’s relevance in the socio-economic development of the country and the entire Mena region in the hope of significantly increasing the domestic sector’s market value," observed Madkour.

Jobs in architecture, fashion, and interior design are the most in-demand as per the same report.

A separate online news estimated that the value of the interior design and furniture industry in the Mena region stood at more than $20 billion.

In Lebanon, one of the region’s key design markets, Harmouch Interior Design joins the ranks of leading local industry firms and is known for using sustainable materials and meeting international health and safety standards.

Harmouch’s designs contain innovative elements with chic, subtle, and ultra-modern feel.

Moreover, the firm’s interior design solutions are delivered by its elite team of designers who graduated from acclaimed interior design schools in Europe and the Middle East. MM Michel and Harmouch spearhead the group.

The firm’s portfolio of projects includes hotels; banks; villas, residences, and apartments; and palaces, to name a few.

"Forming syndicates will also allow all relevant entities to gather their resources together and use them to support specific plans and actions aimed at strengthening the industry and maximising its full potentials," remarked Madkour.

"We can help generate substantial career opportunities for our citizens and subsequently support Lebanon’s growth and development. Indeed, it will also be an opportunity for all stakeholders to learn from each other and collaborate to attain common objectives and goals, including increased productivity and profitability," he added.-TradeArabia News Service