Gulf Importers

Ideal Standard well received in Gulf

Products from the Dea range

Ideal Standard International, the Brussels-based bathroom solutions supplier, is setting up a showroom and a training centre for architects in the UAE.
 

The company set up a regional office at the Jebel Ali Free Zone in 2013 to better organise a response to the growing demand it sees for its products in the Gulf and wider Mena region.

“We see the biggest growth coming from Saudi Arabia where there are a number of mega projects, then the UAE, following the award of Expo 2020, and then Qatar,” said a company spokesman.

Ideal Standard is supplying some of the mega projects in Saudi Arabia including King Abdullah University and the biggest housing scheme for National Guards. In Dubai it has supplied Burj Al Arab in the past and is currently involved with Akoya from Damac. “It is worth $2 -3 billion with our share around $10 -15 million,” said the spokesman, indicating that the project being ongoing there was a likelihood of more orders coming. The mega project comprises 2,650 villas and over 200 apartments and Ideal Standard expects it will be the forerunner of other similar contracts coming its way.

Ideal Standard is growing at the rate of 20 per cent year on year in Mena, the region accounting for 25 to 30 per cent of the company’s overall growth. Its market share in Mena is between 15- 17 per cent. However, in some countries such as Egypt it has more than a 50 per cent share, the company says.

With total bathroom solutions as its core business for over 100 years, the company designs, manufactures and supplies ceramic products, bathroom mixers, furniture and accessories and bathing and showering solutions for residential, commercial and institutional buildings. Ideal Standard is the company’s international flagship brand for bathroom solutions across all regions. Moreover, the company owns leading European brands: Jado, Armitage Shanks, Ceramica Dolomite, Porcher and Vidima.

The Ideal Standard, Jado, Armitage Shanks, Ceramica Dolomite, Porcher, Vidima and American Standard branded products are supplied in the Middle East sanitaryware market by business partners across the different countries.

“We provide complete bathroom solutions, except for the tiles. We work very closely on projects based on our experience of the last 30 to 40 years. We work with interior designers and architects in order to get our products specified as 70 to 75 per cent of the market in the Middle East is project-oriented,” the spokesman said.

“Our strategy is to grow in the Middle East and be one of the main bathroom suppliers in the region. Every year we come up with new products to cater to market requirements. Our luxury products have been well received in the market and our Connect range has been most successful.”

 

THE DEA RANGE
Recently the company launched the Dea range of ceramics, furniture and bathtubs, which it says offers the ultimate balance of form and function and is set to revolutionise bathroom luxury in the region with its mix of high-end design, chic look, maximum comfort and ultimate pleasure, says the company.

Conceptualised by the world-renowned award-winning designer Dick Powell, the Dea collection offers a more human environment with its design and function excellence, thus extending a softer, more flowing look and feel and a pleasurable experience.

In moving on from the last decade’s trend for angular, minimalist bathrooms to Dea’s softer, more flowing look and feel, he is offering an even more pleasurable experience, according to the company.

Dea’s forward-looking, sensuous designs are created to deliver the ideal combination of premium quality and aesthetics, total comfort and exceptional functionality. From materials to technology, sophisticated ceramics to clever storage, every element offers maximum elegance and ease of use.

“The bathroom is a unique space in the home. At Ideal Standard, we believe in offering the best aesthetics and environment for a warmer as well as softer feel in the modern bathroom –  more human and less geometric. With the Dea collection, we are putting emotion back into the surroundings with its approachable, useable and comfortable feel. With its curved-yet-controlled look, Dea’s beautiful lines offer the perfect balance for the bathroom,” says Dimitra Dotsia, marketing manager at Ideal Standard Gulf.

Dea’s wide selection of ceramics includes vessels, vanities, toilets and bidets. The range gives plenty of scope for creating individual yet harmonious bathroom designs. Every element of the range has been carefully thought through for maximum elegance, still with the user experience in mind. The high-end pieces come in different sizes and a choice of white or matt-white finish, to provide homeowners with a solution that suits their taste and space.

To add to the aesthetics, Dea has partnered with Ideal Standard’s Melange tap range, offering beautifully curved forms to the bathroom. Available in a wide range of options, Melange perfectly complements the rounded edges of the Dea basin, bath or bidet – adding to its ultra-smooth touch.