ZIAD ABDEL NOUR, general manager at Universal Trading Company, discusses the region’s booming kitchen segment, smart kitchens, and how the company prioritises sustainability.

The kitchen segment is thriving. How is Universal Trading Company pushing the boundaries of kitchen design through various collaborations and partnerships with top brands?
We’ve always been a leading name in the project business and also with customers. We have a strong presence in the market having some of the top brands as a part of our portfolio like Nolte Küchen which has been voted Germany’s most popular kitchen brand. In the past year, we’ve focussed on expanding our footprint and our brand through different social media activations, events and partnerships. We’ve worked with notable names like Nina Ali, one of the cast members of The Real Housewives of Dubai, Nisrine El Lababidi Moghraby a well-known interior designer and founder of Harf Noon Studios and Pallavi Dean of esteemed interior design studio Roar. We’ve also continued to further our partnership and relationship with Majid Al Futtaim. Along with Nolte Küchen, we recently installed a world-class kitchen in the Majid Al Futtaim Imagine Hub. The theme of the design is an underwater concept. In this iteration, the loft island floats on a wave in the ocean, akin to a collection of archipelagos.

The flooring/ lighting mimics the feeling of walking on water. The beautiful kitchen shows how boundless the possibilities are with our kitchen designs.

How does Universal Trading Company’s core design team influence home trends through the company’s retail business? We have an extremely talented design team. Their industry experience spans years and decades, and they are extremely creative. They can work with large spaces to make designs appear warm and inviting, They also are experienced in making kitchens innovative and compact in small spaces. There are no two kitchens alike. Our designers listen to each customer’s design needs, making each experience personalised and enjoyable.

What are the smart innovative kitchen concepts we can expect to see in 2023? What is the level of consumer interest in smart kitchen appliances and innovative designs?

A lot of customers are working with small spaces or spaces that need to be multifunctional. Our team is well-versed in making sure that every corner of the kitchen is used with innovative pull-out drawers and added cabinet space. With Nolte Küchen, this can be designed with ease and with a product that is extremely well made. We also know that consumers want smart appliances that help make their lives easier, and more convenient and contribute to energy efficiency. We have appliances that connect to wi-fi or Bluetooth, have touchscreen interfaces and have cameras installed. This enables customers to have life-changing conveniences like receiving an alert when their water filter needs to be changed or turning the ice maker on or off from their smartphone. Our lives are incredibly integrated with technology and we know customers want that in their home appliances too.

Universal Trading Company is the exclusive UAE distributor of world-renowned home and kitchen brands such as Nolte Küchen, AEG, IGNIS, and Turbo Air, among others and has been supplying European and appliances to -scale residential and retail projects

What kitchen innovations is Universal Trading Company hoping to bring to the region in 2023?
Traditionally in the region, kitchen spaces were closed off to the rest of the living areas. More modern concepts have the kitchen as the focal point of the home flowing into the living areas. We’ve worked with developers and designers who embrace this style as well and they come to us because they know we can accommodate this design aesthetic. With Nolte Küchen, we have a lot of options and ranges for finishes and colours that will merge seamlessly into living areas. Nolte Küchen also has Nolte Living, a product line specifically made for living areas – built-in bookcases, tv units and cabinets that will match kitchen spaces easily. We also know that people want their entire homes to reflect one specific design aesthetic even in their bathrooms. With Nolte Spa, those same kitchen finishes and touches that our customers love can be integrated into bathroom areas – LED lighting, handleless design and our standard soft close drawers.

Explain briefly your collaboration with your brand ambassador Nina Ali and her concept of a modern kitchen.
We are working with our Universal Trading Company brand ambassador Nina Ali on her stunning new home. Along with Nolte, we outfitted the kitchen and the pantry/laundry area. Nina already had a vision of what she wanted her kitchen to look and feel like. She had a vision of a homey space where she can make memories with her family and host friends. After she visited our Dubai showroom she saw that the options to make her design perfect were endless. We were able to help her vision come to life using our 3D imaging and our designers produced a kitchen that is both stunning and functional.

With its commitment to innovation and sustainability, Nolte Küchen is the only kitchen and furniture manufacturer that currently holds two of the world’s most important environmental certificates – PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).

How would you describe the new kitchen’s style?
Nina’s kitchen is the epitome of modern elegance. It reflects Nina’s own personal style of timeless elegance with modern touches. The kitchen is bright and made in neutral tones and has a large island space that is ultra-functional with integrated storage space and ample seating. Nina put much thought into every detail because she really envisioned how she needed to use the space – an area for a coffee bar, a place her kids could eat breakfast and where she can create and share her recipes.

NINA ALI: “It’s been such a pleasure working with Universal Trading and Nolte on building my dream kitchen. The team walked me through the design process and being able to see exactly how the kitchen would look with 3D imaging was priceless. I had all these different ideas and watching it come together exactly how I envisioned it was the most exciting process. I was actually surprised at how many different finishes and options Nolte has but it made it easy for me to get exactly what I had imagined. I know it’s going to be a space where my family and I can create so many memories that will last forever. The kitchen really is the heart of my home and Universal Trading has made the idea of living in the kitchen a reality.”

How is Universal Trading Company pushing toward greater sustainability? What achievements are you most proud of?
Sustainability has always been important at Universal Trading. We’re proud to work with brands like Nolte that hold sustainable initiatives and efforts as important as well. Nolte is the only German-made kitchen company that is both PEFC and FSC certified. As the UAE and Dubai pay close attention to sustainability with initiatives like the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, we are proud and well-equipped to support developers in creating industry-leading properties with sustainable features in the kitchen, living and utility spaces.

How has your perspective on sustainability changed over time?
We’ve always strived to complete projects with as little waste as possible. This means taking care to not have damaged items and also working with brands who value sustainable packaging and product innovations. As sustainability becomes more important to developers, contractors and consumers both our project and retail operations continue to evolve in sustainable efforts. Taking care of the environment through our actions and the products we use is important to us and will continue to be important over time.

How is Universal Trading Company educating clients about the importance of sustainability, and what challenges do they face in doing so?
We want to educate both our retail customers and our fellow industry colleagues on the importance of sustainability. For example, Nolte has made efforts to use chipboard that is more sustainable to the environment. We know it is possible and you can still make a quality kitchen this way. We’ll continue to be an industry leader in offering the best appliances most of which are energy efficient. Is the kitchen industry on the right track and on a sustainable path when it comes to the right initiatives and measures that promote sustainability? I believe so. Sustainability is important to us all. We’ve learned so much over the last few years about how our actions affect our world. More manufacturers, designers, developers and contractors are tuned into sustainable efforts and how they contribute to waste especially in construction. We’re all continuing to learn in this area but we know it’s a priority for everyone in the industry.