Gulf Construction Online - AHEC sees rise in Mena demand

UAE Focus

AHEC sees rise in Mena demand

01 March 2012

DEMAND for American hardwoods in the Mena (Middle East and North Africa) region is poised to remain strong this year, according to the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry.

Confident about the continued growth in the regional demand for US hardwoods this year, Roderick Wiles, director for Africa, Middle East, India and Oceania recently undertook a trade servicing mission to the UAE, which continues to remain the region’s wood processing and distribution hub.

With imports of hardwood lumber in excess of $8.3 million in value from January to October 2011, the UAE has emerged as an important market for American hardwoods in the Mena region, wherein the total imports of American hardwood lumber totalled $41.26 million over the same period. The trade servicing mission saw Wiles conduct site-visits with various saw mills, wood processing factories and importers of hardwoods across the UAE.

While significant increases were seen in the volume of shipments of white oak and tulipwood to the Mena region during January to October 2011, red oak still accounted for just over 44 per cent of all exports of American hardwood lumber to the region at a volume of 25,998 cu m. The other major species exported were ash, white oak and tulipwood at
volumes of 7,616 cu m, 6,902 cu m and 6,451 cu m respectively.

Meanwhile, AHEC has also announced its participation in the 2012 edition of the Dubai International Wood and Wood Machinery Show to be held next month (April 3 to 5) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.