The Philippines furniture manufacturers want to make a bigger mark on the Middle Eastern market this year.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), said the Philippines will again send a group of local furniture companies to the Dubai exhibition with the hope of bagging some big-ticket contracts.
In 2005, the Philippines generated sales of $ 4.8 million, 60 percent higher than the previous year?s $ 3 million.
The deparment expects the local group to bag more export deals as more Middle Eastern countries recognize the country?s ability to produce unique and quality furniture designs.
The Philippines has been cited by the International Design Yearbook and the Frankfurt Tendence Lifestyle as an influential force in new Asian design.
The DTI noted that countries that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council imported some $5-billion worth of in furniture and interior products last year as reported by the MEED, the region?s leading online business opportunity tracker.
Big projects such as the opening of the residential property market in Abu Dhabi, multimillion projects in Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Auwain and Qatar, plus the recently announced Enaar mega-residential and commercial development that will create an entire suburb in Cairo are among the opportunities that the Philippine delegation is looking at.
?Even Qatar, one of the wealthiest nations in the world, demands bigger furniture and construction supply due to its budding real estate sector including the $5-billion New Doha International Airport, Hamad Medical City, Qatar Education City, the General Library, the Islamic Museum, Science and Technology Park, modern shopping malls, new hotels and sports venues,? the DTI said.
To date, the Philippines ranks 36th on the list of furniture exporters worldwide, with total shipments amounting to $260 million as of last year, according to the National Statistics Office.
There are about 5,000 Filipino contractors handling local and foreign projects from airports and industrial plants to design consultancy. The country?s technologically driven manufacturing processes contribute much to the Philippines? image as a reliable provider of furniture and construction materials to United Sates, Japan, Great Britain, Australia, Europe and the rest of Asia.
Scheduled from Nov. 7-11 at the Dubai International Exhibition Center, the Philippines will join the annual show for the fourth time. It will showcase more than 1,000 exhibitors from 50 countries including Europe, America, and the Far East, and is expected to attract over 30,000 trade visitors including architects, hoteliers, contractors, agents, and private buyers from around the globe.
Filipino furniture manufacturers are known for creating classic designs with a modern touch from natural elements such as stone, wood, shell, and coconut. The country?s technologically-driven manufacturing processes contribute much to the Philippines? image as a reliable provider of furniture and construction materials to vast markets like the United Sates, Japan, Great Britain, Australia, Europe, and the rest of Asia.
