Dubai: The International Design Exhibition (Index) 2014, an annual trade event for the interior design industry, opens its doors on Monday at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
An upswing in the interior design market is being felt this year compared to 2013, partially due to the announcement of the World Expo 2020, a six-month event which Dubai won the bid to host last November, according to Samantha Kane Macdonald, event director at DMG Events, Index’s organiser.
Hospitality projects that have restarted recently have helped increase the positive sentiment in the market.
“$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,” Kane Macdonald said, sourcing a report by management consultancy Ventures Middle East.
As a result, the UAE’s interior fit-out market is expected to be valued at $2.73 billion this year, she said. The country accounts for 35.50 per cent of the GCC’s interior fit-out market, she added.
The four-day exhibition will attract 700 exhibitors from 44 countries, up 15-20 per cent compared to last year’s edition. The number of visitors, meanwhile, is expected to increase by 10-13 per cent to 24,000.
The show will see companies from new countries, such as South Africa, Algeria, Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania. Also, the number of exhibitors from countries such as Poland and Belgium are expected to grow 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
Sessions covering a range of topics will run throughout the show. For instance, Milou Ket from Milou Ket Styling &Design in the Netherlands will be speaking 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,” 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 during the Middle East Interior Design Awards ceremony, which will be held on Monday at Atlantis The Palm.
