Furniture manufacturing workshops and factories in the Damascus countryside are striving to restore their activity and revive their presence in local and foreign markets, despite the challenges facing the sector, foremost among them the rising cost of production and the difficulty of securing raw materials and competition with imported furniture. The workshops also suffer from the migration of several experienced owners and workers during the years of the Syrian revolution, particularly in the areas of Saqba, Arbin, and Daraa.
Qasim al-Muzayil, a worker in the furniture industry, told SANA on Tuesday that securing raw materials represents one of the most prominent challenges, particularly medium-density fiberboard (MDF), which is used in the manufacture of bedrooms and home furniture. Al-Muzayil pointed out that the raw materials market sometimes experiences speculation and hoarding, as some traders buy large quantities of specific types with certain thicknesses, then offer limited quantities in the market, leading to a shortage of supply and rising prices.
He explained that the problem is not limited to rising prices, but also includes the unavailability of materials to the required specifications, forcing some workshops to postpone completing furniture pieces until they can secure boards in the appropriate colors and thicknesses. Al-Muzayil added that rising operational costs constitute an additional burden, amid increased wages for transporting materials from traders to workshops, as well as electricity and machinery operation expenses, which raise the total production cost and reflect on the final product price.
For his part, Muhammad Ataya believed that competition with imported furniture, particularly Turkish, represents a challenge for local production, given that foreign factories possess greater production capacities and modern manufacturing lines that allow for large quantities to be produced within short time periods and at relatively lower costs. He clarified that some Syrian workshops find themselves forced to reduce manufacturing costs to compete with imported products, which may sometimes lead them to reduce some internal fittings or use materials with different specifications.
Ataya drew attention to the fact that differences between some local and imported products do not always appear in the external appearance, but become clear upon use, particularly regarding the quality of internal cabinet partitions, drawer tracks, bases, and fittings used. He emphasized the importance of developing manufacturing methods and combining craft expertise with modern technology, by introducing cutting, carving, and shaping machines equipped with computer numerical control (CNC) technologies, for the precision and speed they offer in executing designs, as well as reducing waste in raw materials.
Regarding exports, Ataya pointed out that Syrian furniture has opportunities to regain its presence in Arab markets, particularly Iraq, Jordan, and Kuwait, along with other markets that previously received Syrian products, such as Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and Tunisia. He explained that regaining these markets is linked to the ability of workshops and factories to develop their products and improve their specifications, and to comply with importers' requirements regarding quality, design, price, and delivery times.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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