240 exhibitors take part in Dubai WoodShow

Eng. Dawood Abdul Rahman Abdullah Al Hajiri, general director of Dubai Municipality, officially inaugurated the Dubai WoodShow at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Tuesday in presence of key international dignitaries and VIPs. The event will run until Thursday.

“Wood industry is an important sector all over the world, and events as Dubai WoodShow will accelerate the growth of the global economy. As a leading event for the region, it is great to witness participation of companies from Italy, Germany, America and several others. Dubai is an economic powerhouse — a financial hub for innovative technologies, products and solutions, making it a natural fit to lead the industry. I am confident this world-class event will give participants and visitors an opportunity to multiply sales and trade activities,” said Al Hajiri.

It has been observed that Middle East is increasingly recognized as the primary location for supply of wood products, considering the growth of construction, furniture manufacturing sector as well as rising domestic demand. The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan and Oman are significant importer of wood products.

“The growth of construction and real estate are the key drivers for the increased demand of wood and wood products in the Middle East. In addition, the manufacturing industry and a high demand for wood furniture and artefacts continue to be the dominant forces for the rising growth of the wood industry,” said Walid Farghal, director general, organizers of the Dubai WoodShow.

At the first day of Dubai WoodShow, several trade visitors representing various segments of the wood industry, manufacturers, importers, businessmen dealing in furniture and wood products, had an opportunity to network and connect with over 240 exhibitors from 530 brands. In addition, they also had an opportunity to learn about the latest technologies and innovation in furniture manufacturing, wood machinery and its various products, as well as renew their existing trade relations.

“It is a pleasure to be participating in this show. We represent several Italian and German brands. Digitization was introduced to the industry 10 years back, but now it has become an intelligent mechanism integrated across operations. Using intelligence, operational panels can develop and create designs, as well as integrate data connectivity. Automation is the key for the growth of the industry, and wood machineries now make use of Human-Machine Interface to lead the game.

“This not only helps reduce errors, generate efficient power supply or lessen the noise pollution, but also reduces the need for human manpower. While Italy and Germany constitute nine percent of the world’s wood furniture, I must say that the UAE, and Dubai in particular could be self-sufficient in the wood furniture production, given the expert know-how, digital connectivity and technological innovations that the country has on offer,” said Jurgen Koppel, president of European Federation of Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers.

Studies indicate that worldwide trade of lumber — a type of wood that has been processed into beams and planks surged in 2018. It was noted that of the ten largest lumber-exporting countries in the world, shipments with exports from Russia, Germany, Ukraine and Austria have witnessed an increase year-over-year.

“This year, Dubai WoodShow is host to several new initiatives. Aligning the construction efficiency and environmental benefits, exhibitors this year will display wood technologies that are environmentally friendly and sustainable,” added Farghal.

The global wood industry has grown exponentially in the past few years, and the positive momentum is set to continue even in the Middle East, given the lead-up to Expo 2020. Visitors and participants at the Dubai WoodShow this year will have a significant opportunity to engage in trade, as well as have access to latest trends and insights of the industry all under one platform. — SG