The founder of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Abdul-Qader Al-Fadhl launched the decoration and home accessories exhibition, the Deco Fair, at the Jeddah International Center for Forums and Events Sunday. With the participation of some 200 exhibitors and many experts, economists and businessmen, the event included a number of brand names in the furniture and decoration industries. According to Haya Al-Sinaidy, head of the Organizing Committee, the event is the first specialized exhibition not only in the Kingdom, but also in the Middle East. “The exhibition is located on an area of 4,800 square meters and is meant to bring together many experts and people interested in this industry,” she said. She added that some 50 national factories from various regions of the Kingdom are taking part in the event. Al-Sinaidy expects that the decoration and furniture market will increase significantly over the next 10 years. “The Saudi market is one of the largest markets in the Middle East. Saudi cities will experience population growth in coming years. This growth will be accompanied by the construction of more than one million housing units, hotels, commercial centers, residential apartments and tourist resorts,” she added. According to her own sourced calculations, she believes that the size of the decoration and furniture market in the Middle East will reach $100 billion in the next five years. “The Saudi market is an important market in the Middle East, if not the most important,” she said. Al-Sinaidy said the local industry needs about 50,000 specialists to help it grow. “We need to have vocational colleges and training institutions that specialize in furniture production and design,” she said.
