Middle East represents huge potential for horticulture development, says planetfair

International Plants Expo Middle East (IPM) - designed especially for the region's fast growing horticulture industry - will take place from March 14-16, 2006 at the Airport Expo Dubai.

IPM Dubai is an offshoot of IPM Essen in Germany. More than 1,400 exhibitors and 60,000 visitors attended the trade fair in Germany, held earlier this year. Owing to this success, the organisers decided to extend the fair to new and emerging markets such as China and Dubai.

'As the major trading hub of the region, Dubai opens the door to rapidly maturing markets of the Middle East. With over 31 million people and an affluent economy worth an estimated US$1.3 trillion, the Middle East represents huge potential for floriculture and horticultural development,' says Egon Gallinis, Managing Director, Messe Essen GmbH.

The Middle East is among the fastest developing markets for imported plants and flowers in the world. With rising population levels and increasing disposable incomes, the market is booming for both indoor and outdoor plant and flower specimens.

Major corporate customers include landscaped public parks and gardens, business premises, and the booming hospitality industry, which expects 15 million tourists to visit Dubai alone in 2010.

Michael Mueller, Managing Director of planetfair LLC Dubai, added:

'The recent completion of the Dubai Flower Centre (DFC) at Dubai Airport is another major incentive to host IPM for the first time in Dubai. With DFC's modern 'perishable' centre and free trade zone, we see Dubai soon becoming the distribution hub for flower and plants products from Africa and Europe heading for south-east Asia, Levant and the GCC.'

'With the flower and plant market at its doorstep through DFC, and European and Asian markets within a six-hour flight, Dubai is the perfect location to pack flowers, plants and vegetables for end markets - and that is an important consideration for exhibitors looking to attend IPM Dubai.'

More than 120 exhibitors from 10 countries will showcase a wide variety of plants at IPM Dubai, including indoor and outdoor plants, cut flowers and vegetables. The latest technology and techniques in landscaping, irrigation, plant protection and seed plantation will also be on display, along with floristry accessories and sales promotion items.

International Plants Expo Middle East will have a display area of more than 4,000 square meters, and the exhibition aims to attract trade visitors from across the 'green industry' including plant producers, landscape gardeners, retail centres and wholesalers, real estate developers, local government and the hospitality industry. Visitors are expected from the GCC, Levant, Kenya and South Africa.

IPM Dubai is being organised by planetfair Dubai LLC and Messe Essen in Germany under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai.

The Dubai Flower Centre and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry are also supporting the exhibition.

IPM Dubai will run from 11.00am to 7.00pm daily, from March 14-16, 2006 at the Airport Expo Dubai.