Although there is no uniform definition of the Middle East and North Africa, the World Bank considers the region to cover 21 countries from Morocco to Iran. Economic growth in the region averaged 4.5 per cent in 2021. It is home to nearly 500 million people.
Source: World Bank
construction industry, for example in production and decorations. Spruce is the most commonly used. The country also has a large packaging industry, which uses spruce for products like pallets,” says Al-Muhaidib. He estimates that 80–85 per cent of the wood imported to Saudi Arabia comes from Europe, the main sources being Sweden, Finland and Romania. In addition to European softwood, a small share of products comes from North America, Chile and New Zealand. “Softwood sawn timber is a very price-sensitive product. Price fluctuations affect which countries wood is imported from at any given time.”
Wood demand rising year after year
The sawn timber market in the Middle East and North Africa is affected by the region’s political and economic development, but Vidgren expects the long-term development outlook to be positive. “All the factors boosting demand – including forecasts for the economy, construction and population growth – are on a very different scale compared to Europe.” Vidgren points out that the region currently consumes little wood in relation to its population. “In Central Europe, sawn timber consumption per capita is on average 0.2 cubic metres per year. In the Middle East and North Africa, the corresponding figure is 0.02 cubic metres.” According to the International Monetary Fund, Algeria’s economic growth was 4.7 per cent 2022. Chebirdou at Cotim Bois says the country is seeing a great deal of investment in infrastructure such as motorways and railways, which boosts other construction as well. Construction raises demand for wood products, such as door and window frames and furnishings. “This leads to a steady increase in the need for sawn timber. We aim to sell more of it at a competitive price, while maintaining high quality and regular deliveries,” says Chebirdou. Levkovitz at Interlen notes that there has long been talk in Israel about sawn timber eventually being replaced by other materials. However, the trend has been the reverse. “Wood consumption has been increasing steadily. The use of wood for windows and doors has decreased, but wood is now used increasingly for many other purposes.”•
Finnish quality is appreciated in Israel
Spruce accounts for most of the wood used for construction in Israel. Moshe Levkovitz, CEO of Interlen Timber Ltd, an importer of sawn timber, says that spruce is used mainly for construction, and some is used for roof trusses and other wooden structures. “Garden pergolas are usually made of pine. Pine is also needed by the packaging industry to produce boxes and pallets.” Interlen imports sawn timber to Israel from the Nordic countries, Central Europe, North America and China. Levkovitz says Finnish sawn timber is popular because of its high quality. “Trees that grow in the northern climate produce close- grained wood, and modern sawmills ensure that products are of high quality.”
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