The construction boom in the UAE is fuelling unprecedented growth of the country’s wood market, with total trade of wood and wood products recording a remarkable 37.5 per cent jump in 2005 over the previous year, according to trade traffic statistics compiled by the Statistics Department of Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC).

Total imports increased 34.3 per cent to about AED 5.2 billion while exports rose 69 per cent to touch about 336 million. Total re-exports increased from AED 1.2 billion in 2004 to AED 1.6 billion last year, a jump of 37.5 per cent.

Furniture and furniture parts formed the bulk of the total trade with a 26.9 per cent share, followed by sawn or chipped wood at 17.3 per cent and footwear soles at 12.9 per cent. Plywood and veneered panels accounted for 11.5 per cent, with other products making up 23.3 per cent.

Adel Al Ashram, Senior Manager, Department of Statistics, PCFC, said, “The spin-off effects of the frenetic construction activity in the UAE have sparked the growth of several related industries. The wood industry has been one of the most significant beneficiaries, with the construction boom fuelling an unprecedented demand for wood and wood products in the country.” “The remarkable rise in wood imports amply demonstrates this growth, and analysts suggest the upward trend will be sustained in the coming years,” Al Ashram added. “Dubai has been at the centre of activity, and the fact that re-exports grew 37.5 per cent in one year is an indication of Dubai’s growing prominence as a re-export hub.”

China ranked first on the list of top wood and wood products exporters to Dubai with a 26.7 per cent share. Malaysia was second with a 9.4 per cent share, followed by Italy and Indonesia at 8.3 per cent and 7.9 per cent respectively. Chile, with a 4.2 per cent share, came fifth on the list of top exporters.