Index, the Middle East’s premier trade show for the furniture industry, begins today and runs until November 11th. The Brazilian pavilion features 45 companies with

products ranging from kitchen, living room and bedroom furnishing to decorative objects. Business volume is expected to see a 50% increase compared with last year.

Marina Sarruf, special envoy*

Dubai – Each new year sees new increments in space and number of Brazilian companies participating at Index, the Middle East’s premier furniture and decoration trade show, scheduled to start today (07) in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. The Brazilian pavilion features 45 companies. Last year, there were 38. “This time we have an area 30% larger than in 2012. Many companies who were in last year’s show returned this year,” said vice president for the Brazilian Furniture Industry Association (Abimovel), José Luiz Fernandez.

The Brazilian participation was organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Abimovel, and sponsored by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex). The Arab Brazilian Chamber has been participating in the trade show since 1998, when it had a 30-square-metre institutional space. Presently, the Brazilian pavilion is 1,200 square metres large. “Index is the world’s third biggest trade show for furniture. The deals closed are quite significant,” said the secretary general at the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Michel Alaby.

In the past edition, deals closed at the fair generated US$ 9.5 million for Brazilian companies. “This year, with a larger number of companies, I estimate the business value to increase by 50%. People from all over the world attend this trade show,” Fernandez said.

Some companies have already realized the potential of the Arab Market and are at Index for the third time, as is the case with D’Itália, a maker of shelves, racks, beds and closets, based in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The company already exports to 44 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Algeria and Sudan. “The Arab market accounted for 9% of our exports last year, and we expect to increase that rate to 12% this year after the show,” said the company’s commercial director, Fernando Fracalossi.

D’Itália produces 96,000 pieces per month and exports 36% of its output. “We believe we are going to end this year with US$ 13 million in revenue,” Fracalossi said. Another company that attended last year’s fair is Manfroi, also from Rio Grande do Sul. “We do not export to the Arab market yet. Our goal is to find a representative here,” claimed the company’s commercial director, Jorge Manfroi.

On the other hand, some companies are attending the trade show for the first time, such as Arteiro, a manufacturer of handmade furniture built using aged wood and painted by hand; Grando Estofados, which brought various coloured armchairs to showcase, and Ciplafe, a steel furniture manufacturer.

The Brazilian pavilion is located in the Za’abdul Hall, between the Indian and Moroccan pavilions. It features furnishing for kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and even decorative objects. Participating companies come from several Brazilian states such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.
   
For all tastes

The number of Brazilian companies is not the only one increasing at Index. This year, approximately 1,600 companies from 55 different countries are participating in the trade show, a 20% increase from last year.

With an area of 36,000-square metres for stands, the event’s organizers expect to receive 40,000 visitors. In the last edition, most visitors were from the Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. The most sought-after items were office furniture, indoor furniture, hotel and restaurant furniture, kitchen and bathroom furniture, textiles, and padded furniture.

The trade show also features exhibitors from Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, with heavier, more sophisticated furnishing. Their stands attract a lot of attention, all decorated with colourful tapestries and curtains. Another highlight is the Austrian booth, featuring various lamps in golden metal with white and coloured crystals.

Arab mission to Brazil

The Brazilian High-End Furniture Manufacturers Association (Abimad) is planning to take a group of 20 shopkeepers from Arab Gulf countries to Abimad 2014, a trade show for high-end decoration accessories and furniture to be carried out between February 9th and 12th, in São Paulo. “The Arab market provides a lot of opportunities to Brazilian companies. Their market is worth investing in,” said the president of the Association, Paulo Augusto Allemand.

Arab shopkeepers interested in taking a closer look at furniture by some of the companies in Abimad 2014 may check out the Brazilian pavilion at Index, since ten companies from the Association are participating. According to the Abimad international relations manager, Rafael Molon, Arab businessmen will have all their expenses covered by the Association. Abimad 2014 features 180 exhibiting companies from all over Brazil.

*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum