The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association, hosted a seminar on designing and working with sustainable hardwoods at the ongoing gulfInteriors, the major interiors exhibition in Bahrain.

It was held at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The event, part of the gulfInterors exhibition, was attended by architects, interior designers, importers and woodworking professionals from Bahrain and the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

The high-impact event highlighted the wide variety of American hardwood species, their environmental credentials, as well as their importance in sustainable design.

The seminar was designed to help industry professionals better understand how to work with US hardwoods amidst the ongoing recovery in the construction sector in Bahrain and across the GCC.

"With its long and proven record of sustainability and continuity of supply, the US hardwood industry offers high quality timber to address the demand of global customers," said AHEC director for Africa, Middle East, India and Oceania Roderick Wiles.

"We are taking major initiatives to educate the market and forge alliances with wood-consuming industries across the globe," he said.

"Bahrain is a developing market, with an increasing volume of hardwoods being consumed in the country and our presence here is part of our strategy to support the efforts of our export companies and achieve further growth for US hardwoods globally.

"The Middle East and North Africa region is demonstrating a need for high quality wood products for its interiors and furniture industries, which in turn creates an advantageous opportunity for us to assist in the growth of American hardwood exports to the region," he said.

"Amidst increasing calls for sustainability, AHEC continues to remain true to its promise of addressing the long-term demands of the region and playing a key role in providing stakeholders with valuable environmental assurances and technical information that can help them use American hardwoods to their greatest potential.

"This exhibition is important to us because while Bahrain is small it is very busy," he said. "As well as looking at local demand we are also targeting Saudi Arabia, which is our biggest market in the Middle East. Coming here makes it easy to meet Saudi firms who simply have to cross the causeway.” – TradeArabia News Service