While buildings across the Gulf continue to grow in size, sophistication and stature, so also have bathrooms come out of the shadows and into the forefront of luxury, comfort and style, says an industry expert.

“The market for bathrooms has come of age and today it is all about luxury and modern design,” says Nader Aljasmi of Awal Acrylics, which manufactures the Awal Bath range of luxury baths and showers.
And within the Gulf it is the Saudis who are the biggest spenders when it comes to splashing out on quality bathrooms, he adds.
Established in 1991, the Bahrain-based Awal Acrylics today exports its Awal Bath brand across the GCC but counts Europe as its main market, with the continent accounting for the lion’s share of its sales.
“As much as 60 to 70 per cent of our production goes to Europe, including the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic and Poland,” Aljasmi says, citing quality and pricing as Awal's main advantages over its European and Asian competitors.
“We offer products of very high quality,” he explains. “As you may be aware, manufacturing costs in Europe are currently extremely high and while China is moving up the ranks, its manufacturers are yet to meet the quality that Europe demands. So we have a bit of an advantage there.”
Awal Acrylics’ largest market within the Gulf region is Saudi Arabia followed by the UAE, but though the emirate of Dubai offers huge potential, Awal finds the going hard in a market driven by price rather than quality, according to Aljasmi.
“Dubai’s market is huge but its builders are price conscious,” he says. “Several freehold developments have been built using shoddy materials and as a result, it's not unusual to see fittings and materials in houses and flats suffering damages within six months of use. That’s where we step in, when owners and landlords look to refurbish their damaged properties.”
However, Awal Acrylics does have a share of the luxury end of the market in the UAE, and Aljasmi takes pride in seeing Awal’s baths specified along with other world-leading brands for hotel chains such as Sheraton, the Holiday Inn, and Le Meridien.
At its 16,000 sq m factory in Askar, Awal Acrylics manufactures a range of acrylic bathtubs, spas, steam cabinets, shower enclosures, hydro massage bathtubs, free-standing bathtubs, roll-top bathtubs and shower trays.
Among its new products are an innovative spa bath which accommodates up to six at a time, a steam enclosure and a roll-top bath – all of which were put on show at last November’s Big 5 exhibition in Dubai.
“The Big 5 has truly become an international event,” says Aljasmi. “We established several new contacts from many countries in the Middle East and even obtained some new leads in Europe. I believe several of these will translate into firm business for us in the future.”
Meanwhile, business was brisk over 2007 says Aljasmi, adding that Awal Acrylics has averaged growth rates of 15 per cent over the last six years with turnover hitting $12 million in 2006.
However, Aljasmi points to a plunging dollar and what he terms as “currency wars between nations” as areas of concern. "I get paid in euros and pounds for most of my exports to Europe and yes, these currencies are strong. However, we also import up to 50 per cent of our raw materials from Europe so we end up paying more and more…”  he shrugs. “A weak dollar is bad news for everyone across the world including Europe and I think the GCC states should make a move towards a basket of currencies.”
Commenting on the market in Bahrain, Aljasmi says that business levels have gone through the roof over the last two years and that the boom appears likely to continue over the next few years.“Business levels have virtually doubled, everybody appears to be fully booked and it’s almost impossible to find a free contractor or source building materials.”