A number of international landscaping designers and contractors are eyeing the blossoming regional landscaping business for a share of the $16.34 billion regional landscaping market according to CMPi UAE, organizers of Gulf Landscaping scheduled at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center on Nov. 17-18, 2008. “Prominent companies from Europe, Asia and Africa have confirmed their presence at Gulf Landscaping underlining the show's ability to provide a platform for landscape designers, architects, developers and contractors to network and conduct business,” said Sam Patel, sales director of CMPi UAE. He said the exhibition will serve as a single sourcing platform for the landscaping industry professionals with key buyers from the region. “Our show is designed to facilitate buyers to select products, services and solutions for the series of major developments in the commercial, retail, leisure and residential sectors, as well as city parks and highways.” Spain's Iberflora and Asfplant (Professional Association of Flowers, Plants and Horticultural Technology of the Valencian Community) will represent the Spanish ornamental plants market at Gulf Landscaping which attracts buyers from the whole of the Middle East. They will represent a number of Spanish companies from the ornamental horticultural sector and fruit nurseries, manufacturers of horticultural technology and gardening elements, grouped jointly under the umbrella of Asfplant. “A lot of Synergies exist between the products we offer at Iberflora and the demand from the Gulf as the regional economies are investing in a model of growth in which plants take pride of place,” said Aukje Mulder of Iberflora. “The GCC in general has a sizeable percentage of square meters allocated to garden space per inhabitant, making it a truly emerging market of enormous interest to plant producers from Spain.” The ornamental horticulture sector from the Valencian community accounts for a third of total production in Spain. Leading Italian organic flower farm, Giardini Toscani in Casentino, have confirmed their participation at Gulf Landscaping. The company from Tuscany operates organic farms in a microclimate suitable for the production of a wide range of flowers and supplies plants to garden centers, nurseries and garden designers worldwide. South Africa's Bark Enterprises produce mulch for the landscaping industry and will showcase how mulching provides effective insulation from extreme temperature variations. Mulch remains cool under intense sunlight and prevents the loss of water from soil by evaporation and improves the absorption and percolation of water into the soil making the product ideal of the GCC countries. Bark Enterprises will display their products at Gulf Landscaping this year. Top-notch Hong Kong landscape architect Adrian Norman of Adrian Norman Design Company have also signed up for space at the show and will be displaying their professional talents in landscaping design at the show. __
