Al Aqili Furnishings, a leading flooring specialist and interior solutions company in the region, has announced the addition of a hard-flooring division, Stoneland to its portfolio of brands.

The company’s roster already includes flooring, fabrics, lighting and residential and office furniture, said an AAF statement.

The regional flooring market has registered a gradual change in trend and Al Aqili Furnishings set up Stoneland following growing demand for hard-flooring solutions customised to the climate and the lifestyle of the Middle East, said a top official.

"Catering to the residential, commercial and government sectors across the region, Stoneland will operate from its new showroom in the Pyramid Centre and will offer the full-spectrum of hard flooring solutions of ceramics, granites, marbles and mosaics," said Ali Ghahary, general manager, Stoneland.

“While marbles, natural stones and ceramic tiles remain mainstays of the industry due to their quality and classic appeal, there has also been a concerted effort towards more innovative products in the field and making the flooring layout an integral part of the overall design philosophy of a project,” he added.

Shahriar Khodjasteh, group marketing director of Al Aqili Furnishings, said: "We have been offering the hard-flooring services through our flooring and fit out divisions for years now but with the increased demand for specialised services and products in the market, we felt the time was right to establish an exclusive hard-flooring division to cater to the growing retail and contracts markets."

“We have established our credentials in this market with the range of our services and quality of our products. With Stoneland, we hope to build on the success of our existing brands while diversifying our offerings and positioning ourselves as the top-of-mind brand for flooring and furnishings solutions,”noted Khodjasteh.

The new division will further diversify AAF’s existing list of divisions which includes Carpetland, Curtainland, Officeland, Rugland, Decoworld, Francesco Molon, Quattro and Belight as well as contract divisions like AAF Flooring Division, AAF Fabric Division and Al Aqili Interiors, he added.

Earlier this year, Al Aqili Furnishings also revealed their plans of expanding operations to Doha in 2010 with plans to introduce its entire portfolio of brands across the GCC over the next few years.-TradeArabia News Service