A growing focus on creating sustainable cities for healthier living environments – one of the main agendas under the sustainability theme of Expo 2020 Dubai - is attracting multibillion-dollar investments in urban landscaping and horticulture across the UAE and the Middle East. Dubai, for example, has allotted about AED 6 billion to further develop 12,000 hectares of land for natural greenery, while Abu Dhabi has invested AED 23 million for landscaping projects in the UAE capital.

To meet the increasing demands in the sector, International Plants Expo Middle East (IPM Dubai), under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Dubai Airports, jointly organized by Messe Essen GmbH and planetfair Dubai LLC, will open its 12 edition (IPM Dubai 2017) to welcome a wide range of the latest market innovations and industry professionals in floriculture, horticulture, urban landscaping and architecture, among other industry-related products and services. The three-day trade show will be simultaneously held with the World of Perishables (WOP) exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre from December 5 to 7, 2017.

The region’s only dedicated plant fair has been growing steadily with a rising number of exhibitors and visitors each year. IPM Dubai 2016 reported a record participation of about 110 exhibitors from 24 countries and 3,890 trade visitors, soaring by 11 per cent from the previous year. Urban planners worldwide insist that natural landscaping has become a necessity for bringing back biodiversity in cities through parks and other green open spaces.

Mr. Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen GmbH, says: “People are becoming aware that the more natural greeneries they have around them, the healthier their lifestyles can be - and urban planners and built environment developers are recognizing the value of these investments to create a more breathable and livable city. We are confident that IPM Dubai 2017 will attract more participants given the increasing segment of landscaping in building sustainable cities.”

Dubai, which will host Expo 2020, has been ramping up its investments in green spaces with plans to develop the largest public park in Dubailand stretching across 1.4 million square metres of land. Across the region, major cities and project developers are investing billions of dollars for the construction of parks and greener residential communities as well as commercial districts. In addition, the emirate’s strategic location and advanced logistics and infrastructure facilities provide for opportunities to become a hub for landscaping and horticulture.

IPM Dubai will feature the official country pavilions of China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Germany, India, the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, while major companies from France, Ireland, Kenya, Korea and Turkey will showcase the latest technologies in the sector. There will also be various programs including seminars on international trends in barbecuing and horticultural engineering and exclusive insights into local horticulture, a guided tour of Middle Eastern production and marketing facilities.

A new floristry trend hotspot at the IPM DUBAI 2017 will show how European lifestyle trends can be translated into top-modern floral designs and decorations for a trend-oriented audience. In an inspiring showroom, German Florists’ Association (FDF) creative director Manfred Hoffmann presents the European floral designs in the European lifestyle themes 'Harmonise', 'Equalise', 'Energise' and 'Rebel'. This inspiring showroom with the floral designs in a trend-oriented presentation is a highlight in the fair. The presentation is supported by floranow.com, the Middle East’s first floral online marketplace.