Wood prices in the Middle East remain stable over past six months

Wood prices in the Middle East remain stable over past six months

Danube Building Materials seeks to address increase in demand for wood as many construction projects are set to be completed
January 03, 2011

Danube Building Materials, the leader in construction, building materials and shop fitting industries, has announced that wood prices in the Middle East have remained stable over the past six months. According to statistics released by Danube Building Materials, wood prices began to stabilize starting the third quarter of 2010 and have remained stable ever since. Danube notes that the price for Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) has been USD 285 per CBM, while the Malaysian Hardwood Plywood was priced at USD 495 per CBM.

According to Danube, the pricing for Film Face Plywood was pegged at USD 375 per CBM, and the Meranti Wood pricing saw an increase of 0.67 per cent from USD 750 to USD 755 per ton. The price of American Ash Wood meanwhile saw a 1.2 per cent decrease and was priced at USD 825 per CBM. The price of European Beechwood increased by 1.19 per cent, from USD 550 to USD 555. On the other hand, African Teak Wood called Iroko has been priced at USD 1,100 per CBM.

“We believe that the stabilisation of wood prices coupled with the current regional market situation where several construction projects are nearing completion, will considerably boost demand for wood. Danube is well-positioned to capitalise on this demand and cater to the diverse requirements of this dynamic market with our broad range of high quality products,” said Rizwan Sajan, Chairman, Danube Building Materials.

The company recently announced that in the next five years, it plans to list itself in Saudi Arabia and the UAE for an initial public offering (IPO). This decision was taken, following the significant growth it had achieved in recent years in terms of geographical expansion and achievement of revenue targets. Danube Building Materials also revealed that it is also open to dual listing in both countries, as part of its aims to secure AED 2.5 billion to AED 3 billion in total revenues in the next three to four years.

“An IPO listing can spur regional growth for Danube and help us become more profitable through optimum use of the revenue generated. Meanwhile, we will remain focused on consolidating our presence in the GCC region, and look to replicate the success we have achieved in the UAE across key regional markets,” concluded Sajan.

About Danube Building Materials FZCO
Established in 1993, Danube Building Materials FZCO provides more than 25,000 products in stock and in-house value added services in all of its 17 showrooms across the UAE. The company operates from its head offices – a 285,000 square foot facility in Jafza north and a 365,000 square feet base in Jafza south, which houses its logistics centre, kiln drying facility, factory and warehouses. From a small trading firm, Danube has grown into one of the largest building materials company in the region, with 25 branches worldwide - 17 in the UAE, one in Saudi Arabia, two each in Bahrain and Oman and three in India, in addition to procurement offices in China and Canada. Danube has a team of 1000 people working from strategic locations in across the Emirates, including Jebel Ali, Deira and Abu Dhabi. The company has been and is currently involved in major projects across the UAE, Oman and Bahrain, including Emirates Hills, the Burj Al Arab, Shangri-La Hotel, Grand Hyatt, Motor City, Burj Dubai, Dubai Airport Terminal 3, Yas Island, Reem Island, Saadiyat Island, and Al Raha Beach Hotel, among others.

Rizwan Sajan named ‘Businessman of the year at Ahlan Masala Awards 2010

Rizwan Sajan named ‘Businessman of the year’ at Ahlan! Masala Awards 2010



Chairman of Danube Building Materials lauded for effective leadership and pioneering efforts in construction building materials industry



December 19, 2010



Danube Building Materials, the leader in construction, building materials and shop fitting industries, has announced that its Chairman, Rizwan Sajan, has been named ‘Businessman of the year’ at this year’s edition of the Ahlan! Masala Awards 2010, held recently at the Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai, UAE. Sajan was cited for his leadership in increasing the growth of the Danube Group into an AED 1 billion conglomerate - effectively driving in growth and increased revenues with the launch of the Danube BUILDMART chain despite the global financial crisis.



In securing the ‘Businessman of the year’ award, Sajan’s excellent leadership, dynamism in strategy, and ability to expand the growth of Danube, both in terms of people and partnerships, were key factors in bagging the award. Within the last five years, Danube has registered exponential growth in revenues, which has exceeded AED 1 billion in 2009, an investment of AED 100 million in the expansion of its ‘Danube BUILDMART’ concept across the GCC, and the addition of 350 staff during the height of the recession. The company, which is known to provide world class construction building materials and interiors and exteriors products and services, recently inaugurated its AED 50 million 'Danube BUILDMART' in Dalma Mall, Abu Dhabi, the largest of all showrooms opened by the company, and prior to that the opening of its AED 15 million store under the same banner in Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai.



“I am very humbled with this award and the confidence they have placed in me not only recognizes the hard work I have put into the company but also affirms the dedication of Danube’s employees in helping us achieve success and growth,” said Rizwan Sajan, Chairman, Danube Building Materials. “Having been also recognized recently in the MRM Business Awards and the Dubai Quality Awards demonstrates our continued commitment towards providing our customers with world class construction building materials, interiors and exteriors products and anything they will need to improve infrastructure and the aesthetic value it holds.”



Bollywood’s top celebrities graced the evening’s affair with no less than living legend Amitabh Bacchan leading the list; followed by Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar, Manish Maihotra, and Riya Sen. Also present during the awards were the honorable panel of judges headed by eminent personalities in Dubai including: Rekha Tourani, Falguni Mehta, Imran Choudhary, Raju Shroff, and K Rajaram. Sponsors for the event included Petrochem (Headline Sponsor), Audi Middle East, Exclusive Yachts, World Gold Council, Sukar.com, Supermax, Shoemart, Splash, Alkozay Tea, Dubai Outlet Mall, Prestige and Philips. Media Sponsors included Cool 94.7 FM, Khaleej Times and Zee Network.



About Danube Building Materials FZCO

Established in 1993, Danube Building Materials FZCO provides more than 25,000 products in stock and in-house value added services in all of its 17 showrooms across the UAE. The company operates from its head offices – a 285,000 square foot facility in Jafza north and a 365,000 square feet base in Jafza south, which houses its logistics centre, kiln drying facility, factory and warehouses. From a small trading firm, Danube has grown into one of the largest building materials company in the region, with 25 branches worldwide - 17 in the UAE, one in Saudi Arabia, two each in Bahrain and Oman and three in India, in addition to procurement offices in China and Canada. Danube has a team of 1000 people working from strategic locations in across the Emirates, including Jebel Ali, Deira and Abu Dhabi. The company has been and is currently involved in major projects across the UAE, Oman and Bahrain, including Emirates Hills, the Burj Al Arab, Shangri-La Hotel, Grand Hyatt, Motor City, Burj Dubai, Dubai Airport Terminal 3, Yas Island, Reem Island, Saadiyat Island, and Al Raha Beach Hotel, among others.

Danube to open its biggest ‘BUILDMART’ showroom within a mall

Danube to open its biggest ‘BUILDMART’ showroom within a mall

New store to mark company’s 10th retail facility in GCC

August 24, 2010

Danube Building Materials, the leader in construction, building materials and shop fitting industries, has announced plans to open its biggest ‘Danube BUILDMART’ showroom within a mall by October 2010. Set to occupy 35,000 sq. feet within the Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi, the new store will mark the company’s 10th retail facility in the GCC, and its fourth branch within a local shopping mall. The move is part of the company’s AED 200 million expansion initiative, which is focused on establishing 16 branches for its flagship retail brand by the end of the year.

The announcement of the planned launch follows the opening of the first ‘Danube BUILDMART’ branch in India last July, and an earlier proclamation that the company is looking at an initial public offering (IPO) listing in Saudi Arabia or the UAE within the next 5 years. In addition to growing its business in the UAE, the company further revealed that it expanding to Qatar and other parts of Saudi Arabia and Oman, as well as in China, where it currently has one of its major manufacturing plants.

“Our commitment to providing clients all over the UAE with the best quality products and the highest level of customer service will once again witness a major boost with the upcoming launch of our newest and biggest ‘Danube BUILDMART’ showroom that is situated within a mall,” said Rizwan Sajan, Chairman, Danube Building Materials. “We are very excited to unveil this latest addition to our rapidly-expanding family of first-class retail showrooms, and we are confident of the positive impact of this massive investment in our bottom line as well as to the strength of the ‘Danube BUILDMART’ name in the country.”

Set to offer products from a host of reputed international and regional vendors including chandeliers, wall paper collections, curtains, carpets, luxury sanitary ware, Venetian blinds, wooden flooring, garden accessories, home décor and soft furnishings such as quilts, mattresses, towels, and pillow covers, among others, all products in the new showroom will be installed in an actual home set-up for a more personalised shopping experience. In addition, the store will also have a ‘Design Centre’, where customers can take floor plans of their houses and take expert advice, excellent service, design assistance and inspiration from consultants. At present, there are 9 retail outlets under the ‘BUILDMART’ banner, which are located in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Al Fujairah in the UAE; in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the latest one in India.

“Abu Dhabi remains a strong market, and the opening of our newest branch in the city is a testament to our confidence in the emirate’s growth, especially in the construction and real estate front. We are confident that this new venture will be a key success and a highlight for our business this year,” concluded Sajan.


About Danube Building Materials FZCO
Established in 1993, Danube Building Materials FZCO provides more than 15,000 products in stock and in-house value added services in all of its 14 showrooms across the UAE. The company operates from its head offices – a 285,000 square foot facility in Jafza north and a 365,000 square feet base in Jafza south, which houses its logistics centre, kiln drying facility, factory and warehouses. From a small trading firm, Danube has grown into one of the largest building materials company in the region, with 18 branches worldwide - 13 in the UAE, 2 in Oman, 1 each in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and India, in addition to procurement offices in China and Canada. Danube has a team of 1000 people working from strategic locations in across the Emirates, including Jebel Ali, Deira and Abu Dhabi. The company has been and is currently involved in major projects across the UAE, Oman and Bahrain, including Emirates Hills, the Burj Al Arab, Shangri-La Hotel, Grand Hyatt, Motor City, Burj Dubai, Dubai Airport Terminal 3, Yas Island, Reem Island, Saadiyat Island, and Al Raha Beach Hotel, among others.