The demand for creative office design, furniture and systems is running at an all time high across the Middle East due to the phenomenal growth of the business sector throughout the region.
United Arab Emirates
The influx of international companies establishing regional offices in the Gulf has stimulated the adoption of global best practice into the aesthetic and functional aspects of the working environment, making the Middle East a highly attractive market for world leaders providing office design, furniture, products and services, both directly and through their Middle East representative companies,’ said Paula Al Chami, Project Manager, dmg world media Dubai Ltd.
Award winning companies from all over the world will participate at the Office Exhibition, which takes place from June 4-6, 2013 at Dubai International Exhibition Centre. The event, which will be the region’s most comprehensive and largest ever showcase for the office industry, will, alongside companies that have a regular presence at the show, feature many new exhibitors plus a whole range of new inspirational designs and concepts.
Among the many new exhibitors is Royal Ahrend NV, a Netherlands-based company that has over a century of expertise in providing flexible office solutions and the efficient use of space. Their philosophy is based on creating attractive and dynamic working environments in which people can work professionally, enjoyably and productively. Operating on a global scale as an office furnishings company, Ahrend designs and produces a range of timeless ‘Dutch design’ furniture, including many prize-winning chairs, tables and storage systems.
‘Having specifically developed the Office Exhibition to support the office industry, we consistently expand the range of products and services on display, attracting companies that are famous for their creativity,’ added Al Chami. ‘We consider this to be essential, as industry professionals from across the region visit the show to keep up to date with the developing trends that shape the sector.’
Another first time exhibitor, Belgium-based Bulo, has been designing, producing and selling office furniture for over forty years. The change over recent years in the way companies organise their work environments has had a direct impact on how furniture is designed, and Bulo responded to these ever-evolving office requirements by introducing a dynamic policy of innovation that involves them in working with external designers to come up with surprising and effective solutions – comprising think mobility, desk sharing and home office, this allows them to present relevant solutions in the form of furniture that is also personally and aesthetically pleasing and intelligent.
Japan’s leading supplier of office products, Kokuyu, is another new participant. Established in 1905 as a manufacturer of Japanese-style bookkeeping ledgers, the company expanded its business from stationery goods to include furniture products. At the Office Exhibition, Kokuyu will show their “competitive workplace” concept that takes office strategies for success as an integral component of tactical and strategic planning in corporate management, and is designed to help their customers achieve greater creativity, efficiency, and comfort in their operations.
Lammhults of Sweden, will show a full range of their award winning office furniture. Their ‘Imprint’ chair, which is made using CelluPress, a new material based on plant fibres and developed by Lammhults, is an example of the designers’ respect for the environment and the balance between good design and good comfort. This chair won the highly prestigious Best of NeoCon Innovation Award in Chicago, 2012, and was created by Johannes Foersom and Peter Hiort-Lorenzen, who were also awarded the 2012 Finn Juhl (in honour of the Danish furniture designer and architect Finn Juhl, 1912 – 1989, a pioneer of Danish modern design).
As the surrounding Emirates and other Gulf states develop and emulate the Dubai model to expand their economies, Dubai will increasingly find its services as a business centre in demand. In addition, companies locating their offices in the Middle East tend to gravitate towards Dubai and this continues to create demand for modern office space with the latest communication facilities.
‘All of this is driving the demand for office space throughout the region – property owners quickly realised that if they build and get the formula right they can command premium rents. This has, in turn driven high demand for sophisticated office interiors which are prime differentiators in a highly competitive marketplace,’ said Bernard Walsh, Managing Director of dmg world media Dubai Ltd. ‘Faced with static business prospects in their traditional markets of Europe and North America, companies are looking to the buoyant markets of the Middle East,’ he added.
‘Office 2013 will see the show further enhancing its regional and international reputation – we are completely committed to deliver an event that will enable the sector to align itself with the best anywhere in the world,’ concluded Al Chami.
