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"And about five years ago the steel industry began a big push for more use of steel in home construction, which didn't accomplish as much as that industry hoped for, but did have some impact."

The new study that was done looks at the total "life-cycle assessment" of different construction products and techniques, considering such issues as how materials are grown, mined, processed, produced, used and ultimately disposed of, to give a better picture of their overall impact on the environment. It considers effects on energy use, air and water emissions, global warming and other topics.

Wood had a particular value in addressing the global warming issue, the data indicates. The growth of wood in renewable forests works to remove carbon from the atmosphere, and fewer carbon emissions are created in the processing needed to produce wood products than their steel and concrete counterparts.

Danube's ‘House of Wood' was launched at the Dubai Woodshow 2008 earlier this year.

The new range of hardwood products includes 75 exotic and rare hardwood species and is aimed at the interior designers in the Middle East.

Headlining the ‘House of Wood' range are products such as Snakewood, Birch Burl, Cocobolo, King Rosewood, Black Palmira and Olive, which saw interest from interior designers and consultants who are looking for variety in elements to use in their projects. These products are sourced from forests around the globe, including Africa, the US, India, Germany, Romania and Russia.

Traditionally wood has been one of the core raw materials in any building construction. Wood is a sustainable source, economical and easy to work with.

By virtue of its inherently favorable characteristic, wood has been a major single material used in the building construction. Wood is mainly used for panelling, joinery, doors and frames, windows and frames, flooring, skirting, scaffolding and shuttering," says Rizwan Sajan, chairman, Danube Building Materials.

The UAE witnessed a 63% increase in wood imports in the last two years, with 2007 figures reaching US $2.3 billion (AED8.5 billion). Dubai's trade in wood and wooden products continued its impressive growth in 2005 with the value of imports, exports and re-exports recording a major increase compared to 2004.

According to statistics department of Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), the value of imports for wood and wooden products grew by 34% in 2005 compared to 2004, while the value of exports increased by a whopping 222%.

Re-export figures also grew substantially in 2005 with the total value amounting to US $0.43 billion (AED1.6 billion), marking an increase of 32.5% compared to the previous year. These figures underline the country's growing prominence as a primary trading hub for the regional wood industry.

"Wood as a building material always has a glowing future because of the sustainable management of forest. Because of its natural quality and its suitability for building construction, wood is expected to play a crucial role in upcoming construction projects," says Sajan.

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