H.E Buti Saeed Al Ghandi, Second Vice Chairman of the Board, Dubai World Trade Centre Authority, along with H.E Thomas Kufen, the Lord Mayor of the city of Essen, led the opening of the Middle East’s leading horticultural fair, the IPM DUBAI 2017, being held today Tuesday, December 5 and running until Thursday December 7, at the Dubai World Trade Center under the patronage of His Highness (H.H.) Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Dubai Airports. The event is being held in conjunction with the WOP DUBAI 2017, the leading platform for fresh produce in the Middle East under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and Chairman of Dubai Municipality.

The ever-increasing demand for greening cities through urban landscaping and parks development, among others has led to the boom in horticulture sector in the region, and has become a major interest for global floriculture, horticulture, urban landscaping and architecture markets, and other industry-related providers. The event, which is open for business and trade visitors, welcomed over 100 exhibitors from 20 countries and 7 official country pavilions showcasing advanced technologies and innovation in products and services. The Netherlands will be attending the show with an official country pavilion for the first time. We are proudly welcoming Finca Holanda from Spain for the first-time in DWTC to showcase one thousand-year old olive trees.

Quality fresh produce was also among the highlights of the WOP DUBAI 2017, which hosted for the first time the Fruitnet Forum Middle East on December 4, a day before the opening. The brand-new networking event organized by leading industry publication Eurofruit, a member of the publishing company Fruitnet Media International, brought together some of the region’s leading industry players and discussed some of the concerns of the fresh produce trade in the Middle East.

Tarek Sibai, Project Manager, Planetfair, said: “The opening day of the 12th edition of IPM DUBAI indicates the continuing growth of the industry as the UAE maintains its leading position in the region as the ideal hub for these markets given its strategic location and state-of-the-art logistics infrastructure. Moreover, Dubai is hosting the Expo 2020, which sets the agenda for huge demand for greener spaces and more plants across the nation. Building a more sustainable and healthier environment is one of the country’s priorities in its efforts to become a leading global destination.”

The event is also hosting various seminars during the three days for both IPM DUBAI and WOP DUBAI. On December 5, discussions will focus on market opportunities from the Azerbaijan Promotion Board and China Global Trade Meeting. During the second day, the topic on cultivation technologies will discuss ‘Application of Humic Substances in Dry (Arid) Areas, Applications and Results’ by Dr. Yasser Degham of Humintech, Germany and ‘Control Options of Relevant Parameters for Optimal Plant Growth’ by Herald Braungardt of Step Systems based in Germany, followed by a Barbecue Seminar led by the European Barbecue Industry experts such as Norbert Jedrau, BIAG (Barbecue Industry Association Grill e.V.), Germany and    Jaqueline Schneider of Thüros Grill GmbH, Germany.

On the third day, there will be various company presentations by exhibitors from Australia, China, Egypt and Unites States.

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.