The UAE wood industry will register cumulative growth of 126 per cent over the next seven years driven by the boom in the construction sector as part of the Expo 2020 build-up, said the organisers of an upcoming industry event.

The Dubai WoodShow 2014, to be held from April 8 to 10 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, will have participation of over 500 companies from 40 countries, an increase of 7 per cent compared to the previous edition.

Organisers said the event has received overwhelming response from international timber firms which are looking to establish regional presence through Dubai to meet anticipated demand as part of the buildup for Expo 2020.

The exhibition has been backed by more than 11 supporting associations including the UAE Society of Engineers, American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), China National Forestry Machinery Association (CNFMA), French Timber and Quebec Wood Export Bureau (QWEB) among others. It will feature 12 international pavilions as well as 62 international and local media partners.

Walid Farghal, director general of Strategic Marketing & Exhibitions, organisers of The Dubai WoodShow said: “We anticipate more than 10,000 visitors to the show. The exhibition area has increased to 13,428 sq m, compared to 12,629 sq m in the previous edition”

“We are delighted with this success achieved since 2006 when we launched the exhibition with 75 exhibitors from 15 countries. We also expect increase in the volume of commercial deals due to the growing demand for home and office furniture,” Farghal said.

The last edition concluded with deals touching $100 million, and attracted great interest from construction companies in the region that implement green solutions.

“We will conduct a series of seminars on the sidelines of the exhibition on the theme ‘Legal Timber products in Global Trading is a must’. These seminars will be addressed by experts during the three-day show,” Farghal added. – TradeArabia News Service