Shaikh Hamdan opens premier interior design expo

Dubai: Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, on Saturday opened Index 2009.

Set to run from November 14 to 17 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Index 2009 has a new focus, with high-end design being key.

This new direction has seen a fresh look and feel and focuses on innovation, inspiration and creativity with some 1,000 exhibitors from 47 countries, and 26 national pavilions taking part.

The event is showcasing some of the industry's leading products and designs from high-profile companies from across the world.

New features

New features include a programme of Design Talks which will take place on the show floor. High profile speakers include Victoria Redshaw of Scarlet Opus, Chuck Wood, managing director of the Rockwell Group, Johannes C.F. Holtzhauzen, CEO of Waitrose Mena (Middle East and North Africa), and Michael Kent, founding partner of Kinnersley Kent Design team.

Speaking about Index, Bernard Walsh, Managing Director of dmg World Media Dubai, the organisers of Index, said, "Index has come a long way over the past 19 years, and we are confident that visitors this year will see a big difference, with the focus very much on high end design. We have an impressive line-up of features, and a VIP programme which is designed to put doing business at the heart of the show."