Officeo, a supplier of novel office furniture solutions, has announced plans to open a new office and distribution centre in Dubai (UAE) and Toronto (Canada).

This move was announced in line with the growing number of open concept and shared office spaces which require tailored furniture solutions.

Last year, the interior contracting market in the GCC grew by 25.62 per cent to $8.87 billion, whereas in 2015 it was estimated at $7.06 billion, according to Retail space.

At the same time, high-end interior projects in the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait exceeded $25 million and are set to grow by 13.7 per cent this year.

Anna Kowalewska, the managing director of Officeo (Europe & Middle East), said: "Both Dubai and Toronto are focal cities for our company as they are the central hubs for distribution and offer great client base."

"The Middle East and North America account for considerable portion of our sales and we have decided to begin 2017 with dedicated expansion that will serve as a backbone to the long-term business development strategy of our business." she stated.

The overall furniture demand in the GCC countries will soar to $4.5 billion, according to a report by ResearchGate. The UAE alone is a key player in the industry with over 600 factories and capital investment of over Dh1 billion ($272 million) which represents about 13 per cent of the total industries in the country, stated by Dubai Exports.

"There is a new trend arising in the UAE and other GCC countries which require agile work spaces, especially with the increasing trend for shared commercial and open concept spaces as well as growing number of tech hubs and incubators," remarked Kowalewska.

"These are smaller offices ready in need of fully-fitted solutions, a good example is the Index Tower at the DIFC which offers spaces between 50 to 300 sq m. In line with such demand, we have also launched the agile Swing Series filing cabinets to meet the ever-changing consumer needs," she added.

In 2016 the gross leasable area (GLA) in Dubai has experienced significant increase led by master developments such as Tecom, Business Bay, Silicon Oasis and the Greens. This was led by Q4 which received 152,000 sq m of GLA, up from 55,550 sq m in Q3.

Teresa Fidor, the commercial director at North America office, said: "Canadian imports of office furniture continue to grow and it presents a significant niche opportunity for us. Similarly to the UAE, in Canada there has been a vast growth and investment in local production of furniture and we are keen to capitalise on this developing trend."

"The industry changes very fast and we have to be agile and adjust our offering to exceed market needs, combining finished furniture along with accessories and component," he added.-TradeArabia News Service