Jewelers for the Emir

It is impossible to imagine the Middle East without the splendor and splendor of its palaces, the brilliance of gold and the leisurelyness of life. Pragmatic Europeans have long understood, nowhere will they accept and understand their creations in the field of high jewelry and watchmaking, as in the rich countries of the East. It is no accident that the annual jewelry and watch exhibitions in countries such as the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar are perhaps the most significant events in the life of these countries, attracting the attention of the powers that be.

In Qatar InternationalFrom February 16-21, 2010, the 7th annual exhibition of jewelry and watches was held at the Doha Exhibition Center. It was attended by more than 420 exhibiting companies at 27 corporate stands of distribution companies and more than 20 thousand visitors. According to the Qatari newspaper The Peninsula, the exhibition area of ​​the jewelry exhibition in 2010 took 15 thousand square meters. meters, thereby exceeding the size of last year's exhibition.

The organizer of the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), Ahmed Al-Nuaimi, noted that in addition to the "impressive list of regular exhibitors", more than 30 new companies have confirmed their participation in the exhibition.

Solemnly opened the most prestigious and most visited exhibition in Qatar, the country's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al Thani. Then he and his entourage went around the rich exposition, paying special attention to new names. I must say that a wide range of luxury jewelry and watches from the most famous designers in the world were presented at the exhibition in Doha. Among the "debutants" of the exhibition were brands such as Swarovski, Vacheron Constantin, Salvatore Ferragamo and Fendi. However, the unconditional "star" of the current exhibition was the young beauty from Lebanon, Nur Ares, who presented her collection of the same name Noor jewelry, which combined in an unusual way gold, diamonds, wood, modernity and the Renaissance. Her photograph with the Qatar Prime Minister, who visited Noor's booth, was placed on the front pages of all local newspapers on the second day of the exhibition.

The second day of the exposition also made local and international press representatives worried, because the Ruler of Qatar, Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, arrived with the wife Sheikh Musa Al Thani, at the exhibition. I must say that Sheikh Musa Al Musannad Al Thani was the first wife of the Gulf head of state in history to appear in public with an open face. She is an active champion of women's rights. Largely thanks to her efforts, women in Qatar gained the right to elect and be elected to local government in the country and hold public office. Sheikh Muse is a lady with character, she is loved and respected by all the inhabitants of the country, without exception. The royal couple alternately went around all the exhibition stands in order to select numerous gifts. As the organizers of the exhibition later told us, it is a long tradition when the emir receives about a hundred different gifts - from expensive watches to sets of jewelry - in order to hand them over to their guests during the year or take them on official friendly visits to other country. You understand that for companies from which the emir himself acquires watches and jewelry, participation in this exhibition is doubly prestigious.

Having appeared at the exhibition in Doha at the invitation of the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), we not only had the opportunity to talk with the leading jewelers and watchmakers of the world, but also examined the main attractions of the Qatari capital, which today is changing right before our eyes. During a short city tour, we were shown a project under construction from the series of artificial islands The Pearl of Qatar (“Pearl of Qatar”), the first phase of which has already been completed and even populated; Al Shakab stud farm and club, located in Al Ryan, a suburb of Doha, and owned by the emir of Qatar; Wakif Central Local Market, the oldest in Doha. We were impressed by the magnificent skyscrapers of the “new Doha,” which grew literally over the last five years, and the Museum of Islamic Art, which was opened here in December 2008. The Museum building was designed by the famous architect Bay Yumin, the creator of the famous glass pyramid of the Louvre in Paris. The main goal of building such a museum was to collect, preserve and show the world the masterpieces of Islamic masters created on three continents of the world over a huge period of time, from the 7th to the 19th centuries. The main exhibition building is adjoined by a two-story "educational" wing, designed for seminars and lectures. Also in the building is a library, an audience for 200 people, a restoration laboratory and rooms for presentations. Today, the Museum of Islamic Art is a matter of pride for both residents of Qatar and the Qatar Tourism Authority.

Recall that Qatar is a small state that occupies the peninsula of the same name in the Persian Gulf. The area is 10 thousand square kilometers, the population is about 0.8 million people, mostly foreigners. Thanks to the proceeds from the sale of oil and gas - the country's main natural wealth - Qatar is one of the first places in the world in terms of per capita income. That is why, probably, the number of visitors to the jewelry and watch exhibition in Doha, open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., is growing every year, and almost every second guest leaves home with an expensive purchase. It remains to say goodbye to the hospitable and warm Qatar, which gave us some unforgettable days spent in the new, newly opened W Hotel, which is part of The Luxury Collection of the Starwood hotel chain. Everything was refined, with the taste and luxury inherent in real sheikhs and emirs. See you next year!


Ahmed Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA):

“Qatar has always sought to develop international tourism, but until recently, the main sectors of our economy were oil and gas. Today, Qatar, thanks to its strong economy, successfully develops tourism infrastructure. Our strategy is aimed at attracting reputable businessmen, sports, recreational and educational tourism. And It seems to me that our exhibitions and forums just attract the very segments of tourists we are counting on. We train people a little, tell them about the advantages and attract because if before the average trip to Qatar was 48 hours, a person flew here on business and flew right back, today our hotels accept a large number of vacationers and traveling businessmen, and the number of hotel rooms this year has reached 15 thousand, then as four years ago there were only 3 thousand, and at the end of 2012 we expect an increase in the number of hotel accommodation places to 29 thousand units.

Part of our strategy to promote Qatar as a tourist destination is visiting seminars in Europe and Asia, which, I hope, will be successful and will allow us to achieve our goals. In the future we plan to attract tourists from Russia and the CIS countries, especially their wealthy part. Next year we plan to hold a retreat in Moscow. We hope that the new infrastructure will allow tourism in Qatar to become a significant sector of the economy and make a significant contribution to the country's GDP. "

Sadim Al Mahmied, Head of Marketing, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA):

“The jewelery and watch exhibition in Doha, which we are holding for the 7th time, is one of the most important and most prestigious expositions in the country. It is aimed primarily at attracting rich people from neighboring Gulf countries, as well as international jet seters.

The expocenter in which this exhibition takes place today was opened by us three years ago. In the immediate plans of QTA is the opening of a new Doha conference center, which will be managed by QTA and will allow us to host international forums and conventions. Another National Convention Center is located in the Knowledge Village and is owned by the Qatar Foundation.

The main task of the Qatar Tourism Authority is to attract wealthy tourists to our country who are interested in luxury in all its manifestations. Mass tourism is not the goal of the state of Qatar. The main target audience we consider vacationers with a high level of income and traveling businessmen. We create all the necessary conditions for these segments of tourists - from luxury hotels to international-class exhibition and conference centers. In the near future, the new Doha International Airport will enter operation. That's why QTA is organizing a number of exhibitions, including jewelry and watch shows. "


Lahdan Al Mohannadi, Head of QTA Local Exhibitions:
“The number of regional and international exhibitions held annually on the territory of the Doha Expocenter is 35 expositions today. Another 10 are on the waiting list. I think that in 2011 the jewelry exhibition will be much larger than the current one and will occupy about 40 thousand square meters, including specialized tents built in open areas around the Expocenter, the Qatar Tourism Authority is the organizer of a jewelry and watch exhibition, as well as the Qatar Motor Show, which will be held in January 2011.
We try to give our exhibitors large exhibition spaces so that the entire exposition looks more comfortable and luxurious, thereby attracting elite international brands to participate. The level of sales during jewelry exhibitions is traditionally high. Large local distributors, such as Al Fardan, Al Majid, Ali bin Ali, Damas, Pari Gallery and others, within a few days of the exhibition make sales worth more than 100 - 120 million Qatari riyals each, and one Rolex company, for example, in Last year, it sold watches worth 80 million riyals. These are solid figures that speak of the significance and popularity of this show. "

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