Dubai Woodshow 2006 draws to a close with over AED 23 million worth of deals signed

The show, which attracted exhibitors from around the world, has turned out to be hugely popular among visitors and exhibitors alike.

"We are certainly thrilled with the outcome of Dubai Woodshow. Being the first edition, we were anxious as to how the event would turn out, but now we are glad that the success achieved has far exceeded our expectations. It was encouraging to note that both exhibitors and visitors at the event were equally benefited from the opportunities that the show presented. The success of Dubai Woodshow 2006 can be ascertained from the fact that more than 90 per cent of the exhibitors have already confirmed their participation in the next edition of the show in 2007" said Dawood Al Shezawi, Managing Director, Strategic Marketing & Exhibitions.

Rizwan Sajan, Group Chairman, Danube said, "A specialised and focused exhibition like Dubai Woodshow 2006 was certainly the need-of-the-hour for the Middle East region, and we are totally satisfied with the returns from our participation in this event. We signed over a million dollar worth of deals at the show, which was an excellent platform for wood industry players. We have no doubt that the exhibition will grow significantly in the coming years."

UAE-based Simco, a regional leader in the field of woodworking and carpentry machinery also had a fruitful outing at Dubai Wooshow 2006. As the authorized dealers of renowned Italian wood machinery manufacturers such as SICAR Group, Euromac and El Wood, Simco showcased some of the latest technologies from these industry leaders at the exhibition, with the highlight being the company's new line of production that enables companies to reduce number of labourers involved. Simco also exhibited CNC machines, woodworking machines and painting line.

"We sold machines worth AED 1.2 million at the event. We have already confirmed our participation in Dubai Woodshow 2007, as we believe a show of this scale can significantly help us in tapping the business potential for our products," said Wadah Amro, Division Manager, Simco.

In what was one of the biggest single deals clinched at Dubai Woodshow 2006, Alomi, producers of solid, engineered and wide-face engineered wood flooring sold 100,000 square meters of their English Oak Flooring totaling US$ 1 million to a major Saudi Arabia-based property developer. Alomi launched their English Oak flooring at the show and will be the first regional producer of solid pre-finished wooden flooring in the Middle East with the launch of their manufacturing unit in the region.

Jose Menoyo, Director, Spanish Asociacion de Fabricantes Espanoles de Macquinaria (AFEMMA), said, "Prior to Dubai Woodshow 2006, Spanish companies did not have the right platform to tap the Middle East market. At the event, we were successful in building good business contacts and also finalised several important deals."

Eng Akhtar Mughal, Managing Director, Mughal Wood Works, said, "We have been looking for the right platform to promote our range of high quality wood working products, and Dubai Woodshow 2006 proved to be just what we wanted. We achieved total sales of AED 4 million at the event, which is commendable by any standards. Our fire resistant doors were particularly in high demand besides the decorative panels, carved doors and interior decoration products at the show and we are looking forward to the Dubai Woodshow 2007."

The international line-up at Dubai Woodshow 2006 included reputed names such as the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), Quebec Wood Export Bureau, Canada, Jowat AG from Germany, Roy O. Martin from America, Holz-Point from Italy, Foret Afrique from South Africa, Pidilite Industries and Century Plyboards from India. The strong international representation was complemented by an extensive local presence, and among the prominent UAE-based participants were Danube Building Materials, Simco, Al Rahmani General Trading Company, Mona Trading, Al Humoudi, Arab Technical Equipment, DeWALT, Mohiudeen Woodworks, Cobra Machinery, Al Hattab, United Agencies, Italdeco FZCO, Hamriya Free Zone , Mughal Wood Works and Hakeem Machinery.

"We thank all the participants, exhibitors and visitors of Dubai Woodshow 2006 for their support and cooperation. With the inaugural edition of the event gaining this level of popularity, we can be assured of seeing Dubai Woodshow reaching greater heights in the coming years," concluded Al Shezawi.