By Raynald C Rivera
DOHA: More than QR5.6bn worth of jewellery and timepieces are on display at the 13th Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition, which opened last night, making it the biggest edition yet and ranking second in the world next to Basel, said Hamad Al Abdan, Director of Exhibitions at the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).
“As per the Customs report, the value of goods the participating companies have brought for the show is QR5.6bn. We can add those that were cleared through the Customs years ago bringing the total to around $2.3bn,” Al Abdan told The Peninsula, adding DJWE is second globally, next only to Basel.
Al Abdan also stressed the huge increase in the number of exhibitors compared to the previous show.
“Last year we had 29 exhibitors and this year 50 from 27 countries with more than 500 brands,” he added.
Under the patronage of Prime Minister and Interior Minister
H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the exhibition was opened by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs
H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.
Organised by QTA and delivered by Elan Group and Fira Barcelona, the five-day exhibition features an impressive collection of jewellery and timepieces from the most renowned local and international brands.
The participating brands are housed in huge pavilions, providing visitors with an impressive visual journey into the craftsmanship and creativity behind centuries of jewellery and watchmaking. The first jewellery and watches exhibition in the GCC calendar this year, the luxury event will witness the unveiling of creations of some of the world famous brands.
Spread over 29,000sqm of space which is 16 percent more than last year’s, the expo is expected to draw about 30,000 visitors from all over GCC.
“It has been a superb first day, and best visitor response. Some exhibitors have noticed potential buyers for unique one-off creations which will only be publicly viewable here,” said Ahmed Al Mulla, Chief Operations Officer, Elan Entertainment.
“Our brand exhibitors, special information seminars, workshops and the extraordinary creations on display continue to demonstrate why the exhibition is celebrated as a world-leading luxury event,” he said. Among new features this year is on-the-spot gem certification through International Gemological Institute’s mobile gem-testing lab.
There are four seminars on the process, choosing and maintenance of astonishing creations on display; jewellery and horology workshops for enthusiasts and designers; and special viewing areas for privacy while taking a closer look at individual pieces. The exhibition is open to the public from noon until 10pm today until Saturday and Friday from 3pm to 10pm. The Peninsula
