Gulf Construction Online - US hardwood sees rise in demand

Timber & Playwood

The Middle East is a growing market for American wood.

US hardwood sees rise in demand

Gulf-based architects, joiners and furniture manufacturers have often turned to American hardwoods, as they perform well in interior applications and have a wide variety of colours and grain patterns, according to AHEC.

01 May 2009

LARGE-scale real estate projects in the Middle East and the Gulf, in particular, have consistently driven up the demand for wood and wood products in recent years.

Now, more than ever before, hardwoods, softwoods and many kinds of engineered wood products are entering the region from all over the world, says a spokesman for the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC). Whether it is for external structures, flooring, furniture of interior joinery, wood has benefited hugely from the Middle East’s construction boom, he says.
Furthermore, the region’s architects and interior designers are now looking at wood products more and more and opportunities are opening up for new and innovative wood solutions in many of the Middle East’s pioneering construction projects.
This rise in demand has been very positive for American hardwoods, which have become well known in recent years throughout the region. “They are a good fit, as they perform well in interior applications and their wide variety of colours and grain patterns, as well as their sustainable credentials and availability in a range of specifications have meant that Gulf-based architects, joiners and furniture manufacturers have often turned to them for high-end projects, both commercial and residential. Their sustainable credentials, in particular, are of great relevance in the Middle East, now that green building is an issue and architects are looking increasingly towards low-polluting, renewable and sustainable building materials,” he says.
In fact, last year, total direct exports of American hardwood value-added products (lumber, veneer, flooring and mouldings) to the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region grew by 19.6 per cent in value, reaching $55.5 million. The principal value-added US hardwood product exported the region – hardwood lumber – saw an increase in volume of 3.7 per cent to 48,698 cu m and an increase in value of 3.8 per cent to $35.5 million. At the same time, shipments of both hardwood veneer and logs also grew significantly, increasing by 59.7 per cent to $18.6 million and by 58.6 per cent to $25.5 million (51,547 cu m) respectively.
He says the largest market for American hardwoods in the Middle East is, unsurprisingly, the UAE, which took around 12,000 cu m of lumber from the US last year. However, as has widely been reported, the UAE – principally Dubai – has suffered considerably from the global economic downturn and construction has slowed accordingly.
Demand for wood products, including American hardwoods, has decreased in recent months, but this is not expected to be a long-term trend in the UAE, as the construction sector in Abu Dhabi and the other emirates remains relatively buoyant, the spokesman points out.
Other important markets for American hardwoods include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, where they are in high demand in both the construction and furniture/interiors sectors.
In terms of species, US hardwood lumber exports to the Middle East continue to be dominated by red oak, which accounted for some 19,257 cu m or 39.5 per cent of total exports to the region last year.
“However, the dominance of red oak in this region is far lower than it was some three to five years ago, when red oak accounted for around 75 per cent of all US hardwood lumber exported to the region,” he points out. “Red oak has long been an important species in the region, where it has become popular for doors and door frames, due to its availability in long and clear lengths. Despite still being in high demand, it now seems that there is a general move away from red oak in some Mena region markets and that white oak, ash and other species are gaining in popularity.
This is mainly due to the influence of US and European fashions in the region, which is where many of the architects and interior designers originate from, he points out. A wealth of American species are now shipped to the Middle East and these include tulipwood, which is a relatively low-cost species with excellent properties for use in interior joinery.
“American hardwoods are becoming very well known and sought after in the Middle East, with numerous examples of their use in many of the region’s high-end projects, both commercial and residential,” says Roderick Wiles, AHEC’s Middle East and India consultant.
“There is still a significant need for us to run a programme of education and promotion in the region, however, as, in general, knowledge of hardwoods and how to use them to their full potential is often fairly limited. We believe that with the right knowledge and information, the Middle East’s architects, designers and manufacturers will increasingly turn to American hardwoods for furniture, flooring and interior joinery and we are committed to helping them make an informed choice,” he says.
With this in mind, AHEC participated for the fourth consecutive year in the Dubai Woodshow 2009, which ran last month (April 21 to 23). Under the banner of the American Hardwood Pavilion, 20 key hardwood exporters from the US joined AHEC again to take advantage of the rapidly growing demand for hardwoods in the Middle East.
According to all 20 of the individual participants, this year’s Woodshow was a great success. Once again, visitor quality was the key and participants in the pavilion claimed to see genuine interest in their products from potential buyers from all over the Mena region, as well as from India, Pakistan and further afield.
The show was witness to the largest hardwood delegation from the US that has ever exhibited at a trade show in the Middle East. This underlines how important the region has become to American hardwood producers in recent years, says the spokesman.
“Now, more than ever before, American hardwoods are becoming increasingly well-established in the Middle East’s hardwood market and the timing was right for the AHEC to show its commitment to the region’s market and to strengthen ties between US exporters and Mena region importers, manufacturers and specifiers.
“So, after a decade of Middle East promotion, the markets of the Gulf and entire Mena region have become a real priority for AHEC’s campaigns. Through these campaigns, the US hardwood industry is committed to raising awareness and understanding of American hardwoods throughout the Middle East for the foreseeable future and making sure that they remain a good fit for the region’s specifiers and manufacturers,” he comments.
AHEC also hosted a networking event and workshop on the opening day of the Woodshow. The seminar provided an ideal networking platform for importers, traders, manufacturers and specifiers of wood products, and to educate industry professionals on the processes involved in getting American hardwoods out of the forest and into the market.
Sustained by the reliable and expanding US hardwood resource and a massive hardwood processing capacity, AHEC member companies comprise one of the largest groups of exporters of wood products across the globe, exporting top-quality products including American hardwood lumber, veneer, plywood, flooring, dimension and components, and moulding.
Among the American exhibitors who participated at the Woodshow under the American Hardwood Pavilion included AHEC, Missouri-Pacific Lumber Company, American Walnut Manufacturers Association, Hermitage Hardwoods Lumber Sales, Oaks Unlimited, Hillwood Products, Prime Lumber Company, Baillie Lumber Company, Anderson Tully Lumber Company, the National Hardwood Lumber Association, Nina Company, Mississippi Development Authority, Frank A Conkling Company, Weyerhaeuser Company, Pike Lumber Company, Virginia Department of Agriculture, Wheeland Lumber Company, Turman Wood Group and Northland Corporation.
“This year’s event yielded favourable results for the American delegation, not only in terms of the value of successful deals and transactions closed, but also in extending the collaboration among US-based companies and their regional counterparts, especially in the UAE. Our commitment to the regional market is exemplified by our continuously growing participation in this event, and we are expecting this to further entrench our presence in the Middle East,” concludes Wiles.