Industry experts have said that refurbishment works and smaller projects for homeowners and small businesses, such as restaurants, will serve as sources of profit for UAE architecture and interior design supplier companies in the next year.
There is a growing focus on refurbishments and understanding the end user’s needs over chasing contracts for large-scale construction works, said Yahya Paracha, Business Manager at BM Middle East, the GCC distributor of Benjamin Moore Paints and Exterior Stains.
“This (UAE) used to be a very project-driven market. That’s not the case anymore. There’s a huge shift in focus on the end-consumer and individual homeowners,” added Paracha.
“Earlier, that was not the case. It’s not like big projects won’t buy the materials; products would move inevitably. There is a huge demand for refurbishment projects as well. From our perspective, it’s really understanding the unique needs of each client and each project and then addressing those with our products,” he added.
Paracha spoke to Gulf News on the sidelines of the inaugural Everything Architecture Show - an exclusive event for the architecture and design community in the Middle East, happening alongside Big5. This is the first time the design and architecture sector was part of the Big5 show.
The demand for products such as paints was high amid the pandemic. “A lot of people were stuck indoors, and individuals and companies chose to refurbish their homes and business interiors during this time,” Paracha added. While the companies faced a resource shortage due to supply chain issues, demand remained constant.
Innovation is priority
With a glut of several new projects on the drawing board, UAE-based interior design and architecture suppliers said they are enjoying a post-Covid boom.
Also, innovation is ripe in the sector. Many small businesses are choosing 3D printing instead of using traditional construction methodologies.
Javier Soler Calvo, a marketing specialist with Generation 3D, said: “Dubai is the top technological city in the world. Businesses here want something unique that no one else has. When creating something complex and unique, 3D printing steals the show.”
Generation 3D is well known for printing exterior façade material in the shape of bamboo shoots. “A leading Dubai restaurant undertook this project. The great thing about 3D printing is that the machine can print anything as long as dimensions are provided,” added Calvo.
