Dubai WoodShow 2014 to be launched on 8 April

The U.A.E wood industry is expected to register cumulative growth of 126% over the next 7 years, driven by the boom in the construction sector as part of the Expo 2020 build-up. Organisers of the Dubai WoodShow 2014, which will be held in three halls of the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, said that this growth will be powered by rising investments in real-estate and the infrastructure, in addition to other expansion projects across the country. Organisers said the event has received overwhelming response from international timber firms which are looking to establish a regional presence through Dubai to meet anticipated demand as part of the build-up for EXPO 2020. The Dubai WoodShow, to be held from April 8th to 10th, will have participation of over 500 companies from 40 countries, an increase of 7% compared to the previous edition. The exhibition has been backed by more than 11 supporting associations, including the U.A.E Society of Engineers, American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), China National Forestry Machinery Association (CNFMA), French Timber and Quebec Wood Export Bureau (QWEB) among others. It will feature 12 international pavilions as well as 62 international and local media partners. Walid Farghal, Director-General of Strategic Marketing and Exhibitions, organisers of The Dubai WoodShow, said, "We anticipate more than 10,000 visitors to the show. The exhibition area has increased to 13,428 sq. m. compared to 12,629 sq. m. in the previous edition. "We are delighted with the success achieved since 2006 when we launched the exhibition with 75 exhibitors from 15 countries. We also expect an increase in the volume of commercial deals due to the growing demand for home and office furniture," Farghal said. The last edition concluded with deals touching US100$ million, and attracted great interest from construction companies in the region that implement green solutions. "We will conduct a series of seminars on the sidelines of the exhibition on the theme "Legal Timber Products in Global Trading is a Must'. These seminars will be addressed by experts during the three-day show," Farghal added. Companies participating in the upcoming edition include France, U.S.A., Italy, China, Germany, Austria, Turkey, Sweden, Cameroon, Canada, Latin American and European countries, and many more.