Jewellery Arabia opened in Bahrain on November 22
BAHRAIN, November 2016 – Jewellery Arabia 2016, the Middle East’s premier jewellery and watch exhibition, officially inaugurated under the patronage of His Royal Highness the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre on Tuesday, 22 November 2016.
The 25th exhibition in this annual series ran until Saturday 26 November 2016.
The spectacular event brought together over 600 exhibitors from 30 countries for a dazzling 5-day gala of glitz and glamour. Spanning 21,000 square metres of exhibition space, a huge range of finished jewellery, luxury timepieces, precious stones, clocks, fine writing instruments, accessories and more from around the globe will go on sale.
World famous watch and jewellery houses made a return appearance at Jewellery Arabia 2016, including major brand names. Many of these high profile international exhibitors used the event as a platform to introduce exclusive collections and limited edition pieces to the Middle East collectors’ market.
Complementing these iconic brands were 8 national groups from leading jewellery export countries. They included returning delegations of the finest retailers, designers and manufacturers from Hong Kong, India, Italy, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States of America. Collectively, these groups reflected the very best manufacturing capabilities, design expertise and gemmological resources that their respective countries have to offer.
Joining international brands and national groups were a host of designers, retailers and manufacturers from all over the world, including a selection of Bahrain’s leading jewellers.
Show Highlights
Island Wedding Fashion Show & Exhibition
The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) took part at Jewellery Arabia 2016 with a curated pavilion of wedding sector service providers and a high-end bridal fashion show.
BTEA’s participation was in line with its 2016-2018 strategy aimed at promoting Bahrain as a wedding destination, specifically targeting Saudi Arabia and India.
The Island Wedding Exhibition pavilion featured 14 participants representing various five-star hotels and wedding planners.
The latest bridal trends and luxury accessory collections came to life on the catwalk from 23 to 25 November. The Island Wedding Fashion Show showcased exclusive collections of the finest wedding dresses produced by some of the biggest names in the fashion industry at a local, regional and international level. Participants included Tagreed Al Arryed and Zahraa Al Mousawi from Bahrain, Amina Al Jassim and Sherwin Darrel from Saudi Arabia, Nashmia Al Shoryaan from Kuwait, Fashion Dalinda from France, Vyacheslav Zaitsev from Russia, Saiid Kobeisy and Naja Saade from Lebanon and Cristina Edu from Romania.
Jewellery Education Seminars
To assist visitors with making informed buying choices at Jewellery Arabia 2016, the world’s foremost authority on gemmology, the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA), offered complimentary seminars daily from 22 to 26 November.
Experienced GIA instructors provided visitors with information on different facets of gems and jewellery. Topics included diamonds, coloured stones, pearls, how to read GIA grading reports and important tips when purchasing jewellery.
GIA were joined by one of the world’s most advanced laboratories accredited by The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO), The Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT), who participated for the first time at Jewellery Arabia. GIT experts offered onsite laboratory services, jewellery and gemstone consultancy, and an academic seminar on two of the most important gemstones on the market – rubies and sapphires. Entitled “Ruby and Sapphire from Mine to the Market,” the seminar took place on 24 November in collaboration with the GCC Gold & Jewellery Association and the Royal Thai Embassy in Manama.
The 12th Middle East Jewellery of the Year Awards
For the 12th successive year, the Middle East Jewellery of the Year Awards were held on the sidelines of the exhibition at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on 21 November 2016.
Held under the patronage of His Excellency Zayed R. Alzayani, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the event was hosted by MPP ME, publishers of the industry magazine title Arabian Watches and Jewellery (AWJ).
The Awards were the culmination of an online public voting system and the analysis of an elite committee comprised of watch, jewellery and pen experts.
