The Office Exhibition, to be held in Dubai in March, will see record numbers of exhibitors, as well as trade and end user visitors, reflecting the region's surging demand for office space, said the organisers.

The annual event, to be staged for the eighth time next March, is being organised by DMG World Media.

The growing demand for UAE office space is showing little sign of slowing down as business, and the construction and development sectors in particular,  continue to be attracted to the Gulf region, creating a lucrative market for the world’s office  suppliers.

Office space in Abu Dhabi has risen by 50 per cent since 2000 and is still increasing, while Dubai’s accelerated business boom has seen the demand for office space double in 2008 alone, with major expansion in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Gulf leading to similar growth, said a company official.

“This is a boom time for office suppliers,” said exhibition director Sinead Bridgett. “The regional trend is highlighted in Abu Dhabi where, since 2000, office supply has grown by 50 per cent to a total of 460,000 sq m of gross floor area (GFA). This growth will accelerate in the next five years as the new master plan for the city takes shape, and it’s a
similar pattern in Dubai and other parts of the region.”

More than 250 office suppliers showcasing premium, high-end, innovative product designs and services, will line up in The Office Exhibition 2009 taking place from 3–5 March, 2009 at Dubai International Exhibition Centre.

'The exhibition is now considered the most important event for the design and management of the office environment in the region, and is continuing to grow,” said Bridgett. “More than 7,000 trade professionals attended this year’s event and the exhibitor line-up included 282 companies from 25 countries.

“Our research shows that 51 per cent of all visitors have a budget of between $300,000 and $1 million plus, and many spend much more on office design and equipment, meaning it can be an extremely lucrative event for office suppliers.”

77 per cent of visitors said they would go on to appoint a new supplier as a result of attending the event, with a further 74 per cent intending to place an order.

“The event is a valuable one-stop shop for the region’s wealthy architectural & interior design  firms, for consultants and specifiers, agents and distributors, as well as for the aspirational end-user,” said Bridgett.

“It is particularly important for many UAE-based design companies whose main client base until recently had been hotel and leisure projects, but who have now diverted most of their resources into office design.”

The exhibitor line-up, drawn from the Middle East, Europe, Asia, the US and Australia, will include manufacturers and suppliers of workstations & seating, consultancy & design, IT systems and security, filing & storage, floor and wall covering, lighting, office equipment and supplies.-TradeArabia News Service