Locally sourced luxury products on the rise as region realises costs and shipping times can be reduced without loss of quality

Locally sourced luxury products on the rise as region realises costs and shipping times can be reduced without loss of quality

Dubai, UAE: The second day of this year’s INDEX, the region’s leading event for interior designers, retailers, and fit-out contractors, saw visitors treated to numerous highly engaging content sessions and a host of product unveilings, as thousands of industry professionals from across the globe filled Dubai World Trade Centre seeking new business opportunities and insights into the latest topics and trends – including the ever-exciting ultra-high-end property market. The opening panel at this year’s INDEX Design Talks, which is sponsored by Geberit, Cosentino, Presto, and Kohler, explored how designers should consider ethical and social issues when making decisions related to their work. Also discussed was a shift t taking place towards sourcing high-end materials from within the region, rather than looking to typical key source markets, such as Italy. When asked how designers can add value to luxury real estate developments through design choices, panellist Manisha Dayaram, Chief Commercial Officer at The Devmark Group, said she believes luxury real estate needs to be defined in more ways than just a premium address. “It is important to get into the lifestyle of the people that live in a certain project or location,” she said. “Designing the space from the inside out