Dubai: The International Design Exhibition (Index) 2014 was opened on Monday by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry.

Now in its 24th edition, the annual trade event is being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

Demand for interiors and fit-outs is likely to grow further as more homes are delivered and hotels open. In the first quarter, around 1,800 units were delivered in Dubai and a further 24,000 are expected for the full year, according to consultancy JLL. In the next two years, 39,000 homes are expected to be delivered.

The emirate is expected to see an additional 25,000 hotel rooms by 2017.

“$128 billion worth of construction projects will be completed by the end of the year [in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries], that’s 92 per cent more than at the end of 2013,” said Samantha Kane Macdonald, event director at dmg events, sourcing a report by management consultancy Ventures Middle East.

UAE’s interior fit-out market is expected to be valued at $2.73 billion this year, she said, adding that the country accounts for 35.5 per cent of the GCC’s interior fit-out market.

The exhibition attracted 700 exhibitors from 44 countries, which has grown by 15-20 per cent compared to last year’s edition, while the number of visitors is expected to go up 10-13 per cent to 24,000.

The show saw companies from new countries, such as South Africa, Algeria, Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania. Meanwhile, the number of exhibitors from countries such as Poland and Belgium grew this year to 12 and six, respectively. Some of the UAE exhibitors include Mouhajer International Design, Bold and LOCI. The deals during last year’s show were valued at $160 million, which is expected to go up by 40 per cent this year, according to Kane Macdonald.

Seminars

In terms of sessions that will run during the show, Milou Ket from Milou Ket Styling & Design in the Netherlands spoke about trends in the interior design industry during “Trends for the Interior: 2015/2016,” which is one of the Design Talks seminar sessions.

Meanwhile, the association of professional interior designers (APID) will be present during a panel session called “The Creative Mind” during the second day of the show, which discusses where designers and architects find their inspiration for their work.

Also, design projects across the Middle East and North Africa will be awarded on Monday during the Middle East Interior Design Awards ceremony at Atlantis The Palm.