DOMOTEX Middle East from 28 to 30 May 2006 in Dubai

The organizers announced that stand space was fully booked weeks before this international trade fair for carpets and floor coverings was due to open its doors. Approx. 240 exhibitors from 36 countries will be showcasing their latest products at the three-day event, which opens on Sunday, 28 May, in the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center (DICEC). DOMOTEX Middle East in Dubai is the second DOMOTEX event (after the trade show in Shanghai) to take place outside Germany. These international events originate from the hugely successful DOMOTEX HANNOVER - World Trade Fair for Carpets and Floor Coverings, which is held every January in Hannover, Germany.

According to the DICEC, DOMOTEX Middle East is the biggest premiere event in the history of the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center. The level of participation is much higher than the organizers, Deutsche Messe AG, anticipated. In fact, they have responded by adding another hall to the three halls originally planned, thus increasing the total display area from 12,000 to 14,000 square meters in order to meet the demand for space.

"DOMOTEX Middle East is the first trade show in the entire region which covers the entire range of floor coverings",

explains project manager Susanne Klaproth from Deutsche Messe AG. "Visitors will be able to obtain a comprehensive overview of the entire product spectrum showcased in four exhibition halls."

The keynote categories of the show are:
• Rugs and carpets (hand-woven)
• Rugs and carpets (machine-made)
• Textile floor coverings
• Resilient floor coverings/Linoleum
• Laminates, parquet and all types of wood flooring
• Marble, stone, ceramic tiles
• Laying/fitting, maintenance and application equipment

Encouragingly, the premiere event has already attracted numerous market leaders from all over the world. The biggest display category will focus on hand-woven and machine-made rugs and carpets. Here visitors will see a broad array of both traditional and contemporary rugs and carpets. Another major display will be staged by manufacturers of textile floor coverings. In view of the increasing demand for laminate and parquet floorings in the region, the display staged by the 45 companies presenting these products is likely to attract a great deal of interest. The biggest contingents from producer countries will come from the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, India, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Belgium. The USA, Belgium, Croatia and India are represented in special national pavilions, and there will also be an international pavilion.

The exhibitors will be presenting their latest products and collections, which will highlight the latest trends in contemporary flooring. Visitors can see a comprehensive array of floor coverings that will provide insight in terms of quality, originality and diversity, as well as practical tips and information on professional floor fitting and applications.

"The United Arab Emirates is demonstrating impressive economic growth. Companies in the flooring covering sector can see that there is huge business potential here," comments Klaproth. Since foreigners were first permitted to own property in the UAE, the market has witnessed a boom in interior room design with the emphasis on individual style statements and high quality. There are many ambitious construction projects in the pipeline. These range from office complexes, hotels and shopping malls to entirely new cities. This ongoing boom in the construction industry is certain to create additional demand for top-quality floor coverings.

The visitor target groups of DOMOTEX Middle East include wholesalers and retailers of floor coverings, decision-makers in the contract and property development business, planners, architects and interior designers, interior decorators, construction companies and property investors, as well as their buyers and project managers, floor fitters and other skilled workers in this sector. The catchment area for visitors embraces the United Arab Emirates, including the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi-Arabia, as well as Iran, India, Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt.