Business & Money | Monday 18 May, 2015 3:21 pm |

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, officially inaugurated the first-ever Middle East Stone Show, the only event dedicated to the region’s thriving stone industry, at the Dubai World Trade Centre today.

His Highness toured the show floor at Sheikh Saeed Hall, DWTC, inspecting some of the more than 5,500 products assembled at the event, the largest selection of marble, stone and ceramic products ever seen in the region.

The Middle East Stone Show, which runs from today to May 21, will feature over 230 exhibitors from 22 countries. With the value of GCC construction projects completed this year climbing 6.5 percent to USD 71.97 billion, according to a report by Ventures Middle East, architects, designers and contractors in the region are looking to source the best-quality products available on the market.

Also kicking off at the Middle East Stone Show this year is the Designers’ Forum, a dedicated event tailored to meet the needs of the design community using natural stone and ceramics in both interior and exterior design.

Taking place May 19-20, the Designers’ Forum will provide a dynamic platform for discussion and sharing best practice for interior designers, architects, consultants, contractors, manufacturers and anyone involved in specifying, fabricating or installing natural stone materials in the built environment.

“With stone now accounting for as much as 12 percent of the cost for some projects, understanding how to make best use of related products and what they can add to a development is critical for delivering successful projects. Therefore, a dedicated platform for knowledge-sharing and understanding of the latest innovations is a welcome addition to the industry calendar,” said Barry Swayn, Director - Design & Architecture, STORM Associates “By bringing together local, regional and international experts the Designer’s Forum will generate dynamic debate, provide network opportunities and advance industry knowledge in the Middle East. We all have a lot to learn on this dynamic subject and look forward to participation from all perspectives”

The Designers’ Forum will also provide practical guidance on stone selection, preventing and treating stone defects, design and installation of high performance, natural stone facades, natural stone sustainability and more.

The Middle East Stone Show will also feature 15 technical and design showcases, 6 practical workshops, panel discussions and more across the four days of the event, with more than 40 CPD certified seminars about the latest global stone design, technologies, methodologies of testing and maintenance, and local, regional and international expert speakers.

“We are delighted to introduce the Middle East Stone Show to the region’s marble, stone and ceramics industry, in response to huge demand not only from producers and manufacturers, but the designers, architects and contractors who want to source the finest materials for their projects,” said Mark Goodchild, Event Director of Middle East Stone (MES). “By bringing together major players from the local and international market we aim to provide a platform for this huge market and highlight the benefits it brings for the stone, marble and ceramic industry.”

The Middle East Stone Show is free to attend and runs alongside other dmg events such as INDEX, workspace at INDEX and Middle East Covering.