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Industry News & Markets |
Green Building Revolution: UAE
and Saudi Arabia embrace timber construction in the Middle East |
The Middle East, led by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, is transitioning towards timber-based construction, signaling a regional shift towards sustainability. Despite a limited number of timber buildings erected, Dubai and Riyadh have experienced a threefold increase in imports of plywood and other timber products in the past year. Saudi Arabia, as the world's largest oil exporter, is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2060 and has allocated over $180 billion towards decarbonization efforts, including the adoption of eco-friendly construction materials. The Saudi Arabia National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) is spearheading an initiative to plant 10 billion trees, aiming to expand the country's forest cover significantly. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are significant importers of plywood, with substantial quantities sourced from Chinese ports annually, while Nigeria and the UK rank among the top five global plywood markets. |