DOMOTEX Middle East 2012

Dates: 8 - 11 November 2012
Location: CNR Expo Center Istanbul, Turkey

DOMOTEX Middle East, the leading trade fair for carpets and floor coverings in the MENA Region (Middle East/North Africa), is on the move. After six successful years in Dubai, the fair will now be staged at the CNR EXPO Center in Istanbul from 2012 on. DOMOTEX Middle East 2012 runs from 8 to 11 November.

"Regrettably, the Emirate of Dubai was unable to reach the ambitious goals it had set itself," explained Martin Folkerts, Director Global Fairs at Deutsche Messe. However, the Middle East remains a highly promising market for foreign companies, thanks to its many large-scale building projects. For instance, Saudi Arabia is planning a major expansion of infrastructure services in and around the city of Mecca to cater for ever-increasing pilgrim numbers, while Qatar is erecting new office and residential buildings as well as hotels in the run-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which it will be hosting. These are just two of the many major development projects in the region.

At the same time, Turkey, with its population of around 73 million, now ranks as the world’s 17th largest economy and also boasts economic growth that is well above the global average. In the second quarter of 2011, Turkey’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by a stunning 8.8 percent year on year. The country's economic growth rate for 2010 as a whole was an impressive 8.9 percent growth. Economists expect the country’s rapid economic expansion to continue, especially in the building and construction sector.

Forecasts predict that around 210 million square meters (2.26 billion sq. ft) of carpets and floor coverings will be laid in Turkey in 2012 alone. Folkerts: "Our exhibitors stand to benefit directly from the booming market in Turkey. And thanks to the high regard in which the DOMOTEX brand is held in the region, we expect that the fair will attract large numbers of Turkish and foreign floor covering manufacturers on the exhibitor side, and purchasing executives, wholesalers, retailers, architects, planners, investors and real estate developers from Turkey, the MENA Region and Central Asia on the visitor side."

Turkey also ranks among the world's top five exporters of hand- and machine-made carpets and textile floor coverings. Around a quarter of its exports go to Middle Eastern countries. “This highlights the special significance of Turkey in the MENA Region. Thanks to Turkey’s close ties with its neighbors, this year's DOMOTEX Middle East in Istanbul is a gateway to major opportunities, not only in Turkey, but in the entire Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia," said Folkerts.

About DOMOTEX Worldwide:
DOMOTEX Middle East, which runs from 8 to 11 November 2012 in Istanbul, is organized by Deutsche Messe - the creator of the original DOMOTEX fair in Hannover, the world’s leading tradeshow for carpets and floor coverings, which will next be held from 12 to 15 January 2013. Together with its partners VNU Exhibitions Asia and Chinafloors, Deutsche Messe also stages Asia's leading trade fair for floor coverings, the Shanghai-based DOMOTEX Asia/CHINAFLOOR show, which runs from 27 to 29 March 2012. DOMOTEX Russia is the latest addition to Deutsche Messe’s line-up of worldwide DOMOTEX fairs. The event, which will provide suppliers in the industry with unprecedented access to the Russian-speaking markets, will celebrate its debut from 26 to 28 September 2012 in Moscow.

Further Information:
www.domotex-middle-east.com