More than 500 leading brands from 21 countries are participating in the Dubai International Jewellery Show 2019 that opened yesterday (November 13) at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

Inaugurated by Mona Al Marri, chairperson of the Board of Directors and managing director of Dubai Women Establishment, the three-day event is the largest of its kind in the Mena region.

Al Marri toured the exhibition and was briefed on the various exhibits and products being offered at the global event. Creative exhibitions such as VOD Dubai play a key role in strengthening Dubai’s position as a global destination for creators, designers and innovators across sectors, she said.

“Exhibitions like the Dubai International Jewellery Show that attract international participation provide an opportunity for exhibitors and visitors to explore new prospects for collaboration,” Al Marri added.

She highlighted the importance of the gold, diamond and jewellery trade in Dubai’s economy, citing Dubai's foreign trade figures announced by the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation. In the first half of 2019, the value of gold, diamonds and jewellery trade in Dubai reached Dh180 billion ($49 billion), an increase of 3% from the corresponding period in 2018.

The current edition of the Dubai International Jewellery Show features a line-up of exhibits and hosts buyers from 13 countries for the massively popular Hosted Buyers Programme. The Programme pairs top local and international retail brands and department stores with wholesalers and event exhibitors, to facilitate opportunities to build new relationships in the industry.

The opening ceremony also featured the third edition of The Middle East Jewellery Designers’ Forum 2019 held in partnership with the The New Jeweller Group for the third time. Eminent industry speakers presented, debated and spoke on various subjects concerning the Middle East’s gem and jewellery sector, including future trends. Participants included retailers, manufacturers, designers, educators, students, association heads, and other key personalities from the region’s jewellery industry.

In addition to a variety of dedicated country pavilions, visitors have a chance to view every aspect of the global jewellery world, including craftsmanship, production, distribution, precious materials, trends, and more.

The second day of the show will feature a specialised panel discussion to preview Trendvision’s ‘The Jewellery Trendbook 2021+’.

The discussion will be moderated by world-renowned luxury trend forecaster and jewellery designer Paola De Luca, with a panel made up of top industry personalities, who will explore a range of topics, including the socio-cultural phenomena’s impact on the evolution of purchasing behaviour, jewellery directions, both internationally and across the GCC, trend forecasting: decoding the future of jewellery trends two years ahead, in addition to discussing the topic of forward-thinking entrepreneurs, designers and bloggers becoming industry influencers. – TradeArabia News Service