---
title: "Arabic Sofas in Belgium: Majlis & Moroccan-Style Floor Seating"
url: "https://orientalsofa.com/arabic-sofas-in-belgium/"
lang: "en"
dir: "ltr"
date_published: "2024-12-05T00:00:00+00:00"
date_modified: "2026-10-13T00:00:00+00:00"
author: "Rafeeq"
---

# Arabic Majlis in Belgium: Floor Seating for Brussels Flats, Houses and Cafes

Belgium has about 249,000 Moroccan-born residents, and a salon for a family gathering of twelve needs roughly 720 cm (283 in) of seating at about 60 cm (23.5 in) a person, so an Arabic sofa in Belgium is usually drawn as a long L or U along the walls. Backrests, armrests and seat cushions can also be ordered in stages for a divan that a local carpenter has built.

## Questions buyers ask

### Is there anywhere in Brussels or Antwerp to try a majlis before ordering?

Belgium has no display set to sit on, since a custom set exists only once a drawing is agreed and the atelier in Istanbul starts on it. A video call with the designer stands in for a visit: swatches, foam and finished pieces are shown live. Ask us about fabric swatches and a foam sample before you order.

### I am buying for a café, not for home. What should I tell the designer?

Say so before the quote is drawn, and send the registered name, the address and the VAT number of the business. How import VAT applies to a registered business is a question for your accountant, and the quote itself explains the import step for your order.

## How much seat run does a Belgian salon for twelve need?

Count the guests first and the pieces second. Allow about 60 cm (23.5 in) a guest, and twelve guests need 720 cm (283 in). No seat piece runs longer than about 190 cm (75 in), so that run becomes four equal seats of 180 cm (71 in). A small gap at a wall end is closed with a filler seat that has its own backrest.

| Guests | Seat run | Equal seats |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 8 | 480 cm (189 in) | 3 seats of 160 cm (63 in) |
| 12 | 720 cm (283 in) | 4 seats of 180 cm (71 in) |
| 16 | 960 cm (378 in) | 6 seats of 160 cm (63 in) |
| 20 | 1200 cm (472 in) | 7 seats of about 171 cm (67 in) |

![Teal velvet U-shaped majlis with cream and gold trim, a star-shaped table on an ivory medallion rug and sage swag curtains with gold fringe](https://orientalsofa.com/media/te/teal-gold-u-shaped-majlis-star-table-ivory-rug-wide-01-1099.webp)

*A teal and gold U in a large room, with a star-shaped table in the middle and curtains along the whole window wall.*

A Brussels flat with a narrow staircase changes how you read the delivery plan. An L usually arrives in two or three vacuum-packed boxes, each heavy enough to plan the stairs around. Read our [delivery page](https://orientalsofa.com/delivery/) before you pick a day, and put the floor and the apartment number on the address.

## Is a Moroccan salon the same as an Arabic majlis, and what changes in the seat?

Both traditions seat guests low along the walls, with backrests and armrests, and both furnish the room to its measurements. The difference sits mostly in the base. A Moroccan salon is often raised on wooden platforms, with one long, firm banquette and a single fabric. An Arabic floor majlis tends to sit on the floor or on a low base.

I would start from a photo of the salon you know. A picture settles seat height, depth and corners faster than a description does. Our [Moroccan floor seating range](https://orientalsofa.com/moroccan-floor-seating/) shows the Moroccan-style sets, which are cut and sewn in Istanbul like every other set.

## Already own a wooden base: how do you order the cushions in stages?

A carpenter-built divan can be dressed in stages. Backrests and armrests come first, because they are quick to judge in the room. The seat cushions follow once the base is final.

Decide one thing early: a single layer sits right on a raised base, while two stacked layers suit a seat that should come apart later. Backrests measure 95 × 40 × 10 cm (37.5 × 16 × 4 in) and armrests 50 × 20 × 20 cm (19.5 × 8 × 8 in); the width and depth of the base tell the designer how many of each fit.

> A buyer in Belgium had a wooden divan built locally, 350 cm (138 in) wide and 160 cm (63 in) deep, and wanted only backrest and armrest pillows in a red Anatolian pattern. The team confirmed sizes of 95 × 40 × 10 cm (37.5 × 16 × 4 in) for the backrests and 50 × 20 × 20 cm (19.5 × 8 × 8 in) for the armrests, filled with foam, and explained the currency shown at checkout. After the pillows arrived, the buyer liked the quality and asked for the seat cushions too. The team first drew a double-layer seat of two 10 cm (4 in) layers; when the buyer explained that the divan only needed a single layer, the order was redone for one layer, and extra armrests and a corner backrest were added to complete the set.

## How is each box tracked on the way to Belgium?

Tracking numbers come box by box: each carton gets its own by email when the order ships, and cartons can arrive on different days. After you order, the team asks for a phone number and an email address for the courier.

Delivery across Europe is by tracked express courier — ask us for the current estimate for your country.

Import VAT applies to furniture shipped into the EU — ask us how it's handled for your order before you pay.

| Belgian clock | Istanbul leads by | When it is 9 a.m. in Belgium, Istanbul reads |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Winter | 2 hours | 11 a.m. |
| Summer | 1 hour | 10 a.m. |

## How large are Belgium's Moroccan, Syrian and Algerian communities?

Moroccan-born residents form the largest Arab-born group in Belgium by far, followed by Syrian-born and Algerian-born residents. The table also lists the homes that the seating has to fit.

| Place | What the figures show | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Belgium | About 249,000 residents born in Morocco, about 52,100 born in Syria and about 30,700 born in Algeria | Eurostat |
| Belgium | About 435,300 residents born in Arab League states | Eurostat |
| Brussels region | About 258,600 people of North African origin; Moroccan descent about 13% of Brussels residents | Wikipedia, Moroccans in Belgium |
| Antwerp | About 120,400 people of North African origin | Wikipedia, Moroccans in Belgium |
| Belgian homes | About 76% of people live in houses (about 34% detached, about 42% semi-detached or terraced) and about 24% in flats | Eurostat EU-SILC |
| Brussels | January high about 6°C (43°F), July high about 23°C (73°F), about 84 cm (33 in) of rain a year; five months with highs between 18°C (64°F) and 32°C (90°F) | Station normals |

## Can a veranda or garden room in Belgium hold floor cushions through a damp winter?

A veranda works as a cushion room depending on glass and heat. Fully glazed and dry, it can serve all year. Open on one side, it is a summer room.

Belgian winters are wet: Brussels station normals show a January high of about 6°C (43°F) and about 84 cm (33 in) of rain a year. Foam and fabric dislike a cold, damp room, so set the seats on a rug or a thin platform, air them on dry days, and move them indoors when the room has no heating. Everyday upholstery is an indoor fabric; for an open space ask the designer about the water-repellent outdoor fabric, and see what exists for terraces in our [outdoor majlis range](https://orientalsofa.com/out-door/).

## What should a café send before ordering covers for cushions it already owns?

A café that likes its foam but not its covers can order covers alone. Send the size of each cushion in centimeters and one photo of the seating. The designer then quotes the exact fabric you pick, so choose it from the range before anything else.

In a busy room, ask which weaves hold up to daily use. A café that wants new bench cushions instead can start from our [café and shisha café majlis page](https://orientalsofa.com/arabic-majlis-for-cafes/).

> I count how many seats a café turns over in an evening and ask how often the covers will come off. Matching cushions across ten tables is a planning job, not luck.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which language can I use when I write from Belgium?

If French or Dutch feels easier for the room details, send the sketch and the measurements anyway, since the drawing you receive repeats every size before anything is cut.

### Two cushions look like different shades in the photos. How do I know the real color?

Solid colors are picked by number from the fabric color card, and a video in daylight settles most doubts better than a still photo. The team can also send close-ups of the weave before you decide, and the drawing carries the colors you chose.

### Can a U mix single 20 cm (8 in) seats on two sides with stacked layers on the third?

A third side built from two 10 cm (4 in) layers works beside two sides of single 20 cm (8 in) seats. The layers are loose pieces, so the top one can lift off later as an extra floor mattress for a guest. Cut the stack to the same lengths as its neighbors so everything lines up.

### How early should a 40 cm (16 in) set be ordered for Ramadan in Belgium?

Earlier than feels necessary, because seats of 40 cm (16 in) are sewn to order and requests gather before the month starts. Production time depends on your layout and the season — ask us for the current schedule. Delivery across Europe is by tracked express courier — ask us for the current estimate for your country. Settle the layout early.

## Related pages

- [Arabic floor sofas and floor seating sets](https://orientalsofa.com/floor-sofas/)
- [Arabic Majlis in the Netherlands: Corner Seating for Dutch Living Rooms](https://orientalsofa.com/arabic-sofa-in-holland/)
- [Arabic Sofa and Majlis Seating Made to Measure for French Homes](https://orientalsofa.com/arabic-sofa-in-france/)
- [Arabic Majlis in Germany: Floor Seating Planned for German Flats](https://orientalsofa.com/arabic-sofa-in-germany/)
- [Linen Floor Sofas in Soft, Washable Weaves](https://orientalsofa.com/linen-floor-sofa/)
- [Arabic Sofas In New Zealand](https://orientalsofa.com/arabic-sofas-in-new-zealand/)
- [Arabic Sofa and Majlis Floor Seating in Hungary](https://orientalsofa.com/arabic-sofa-in-hungary/)
- [How to Measure a Room for a Majlis, Wall by Wall](https://orientalsofa.com/guides/how-to-measure-for-a-majlis/)
- [Plan your majlis from your wall measurements](https://orientalsofa.com/tools/majlis-planner/)

## Sources

- [Eurostat, table migr_pop3ctb (population by country of birth)](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/migr_pop3ctb/default/table)
- [Eurostat, EU-SILC table ilc_lvho01 (population by dwelling type)](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_lvho01/default/table)
- [Wikipedia, Moroccans in Belgium (Statbel-based figures)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moroccans_in_Belgium)
- [Brussels climate normals, 1991 to 2020](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brussels)