US hardwood council targets UAE

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A trade association for the American hardwood industry is hoping to attract architects and interior designers to a free seminar in Dubai next month.

The American Hardwood Export Council will use the event, due to be held on 26 September at the Park Hyatt Hotel, to persuade designers in the UAE that American wood is a viable product for buildings in the region.

They will also stress the envirommental credentials of the material, and point to how it can help towards boosting the sustainable design credentials of new buildings.

"This seminar offers an excellent opportunity for architects, interior designers and other industry professionals to gain a more in-depth understanding of the unique characteristics and advantages of American hardwoods," explained Rod Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, India and Oceania.

"We have organised this seminar in other countries across the region and the response has always been very positive, and so we are confident that we can generate the same level of interest here in the UAE."

The event will centre around presentations by Criswell Davis, a sustainable hardwood design consultant and Bob Sabistina, a hardwood technical consultant. Davis will talk about US hardwood forest and its environmental credentials, as well as on the variety and commercial availability of American hardwood species while Sabistina will provide an introduction to the grading of American hardwood lumber according to the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) rules, which will include a practical demonstration.

The AHEC say that American hardwood is already popular in the Gulf region, particularly in the production of furniture, flooring and joinery. In the MENA region, red oak is the most sought-after species of American wood, with a total export volume of 11,298m³ in the first six months of 2010. This amounts to a growth of 18 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Attendees can register at info@communigateme.com