Held under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, the six-day event was formally opened by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud, in the presence of HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani, senior Qatari officials and several exhibitors.
Soon after the opening HE al-Mahmoud, HE Sheikh Ahmed al-Thani and other dignitaries went on a tour of the sprawling venue, where the DJWE is being held for the second successive year.
The DJWE, the first in the annual calendar of such major shows across the world, has over 50 exhibitors representing more than 500 widely acclaimed global, regional and Qatari brands.
Prominent Qatari jewellers Alfardan Jewellery Company, Al Majed Jewellery, Al Muftah Jewellery, Ali Bin Ali Group, Amiri Gems, Blue Salon and Fifty One East are having independent pavilions, where the acclaimed brands have made their presence.
According to the organisers, approximately 10% of the exhibitors are first timers while most others have been participating since the start of the event 13 years ago.
Besides designers of many multi-million jewellery, several exhibitors of precious diamonds, pearls, stones and limited edition and made against order premium watches have their stalls at the venue.
Apart from Qatar and other countries of the region, exhibitors have also flown in from Fast East, Europe, South America and India. The 14th DJWE also presents the Young Qatari Designers, an initiative launched for the first time this edition, allowing emerging Qatari designers to shine in their own dedicated exhibition space. Exhibiting local talents include: Fajr al-Attiya (Trifoglio); Ghada al-Bouanain (Ghada Al Bouanian); Nada al-Sulaiti (Hairaat); Noor Alfardan (Noudar); Nouf al-Meer (Nouf Jewellery); and Sarah al-Hammadi (Sarah’s & Co).
Visitors can enjoy unique, interactive workshops from Objectif Horlogerie, which present the art of master craftsmanship to watch aficionados. Attendees also have a rare opportunity to enjoy the glamour of the past through historical black and white photography. The Harcourt Studio, which has told the story of Hollywood’s biggest stars since the 1940s, enables visitors to have their portraits taken and create an elegant exhibition memento in the privacy of their studio, recreated outside Paris for the first time at DJWE.
Also, this year, DJWE features a central exhibition which has been especially curated to reveal exceptional, privately-owned jewellery and timepieces that have never been shown in Doha before.
DJWE 2017 is brought to its visitors by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), together with this year’s partners, Auditoire. The exhibition, which attracted a large number of families on Monday, is expected to be thronged by many visitors in the next five days.
"We are hopeful that the convenient location of the venue and increased accessibility would draw a number of serious customers in the next few days," a QTA official said.
Entry to DJWE 2017 is free (reserved to visitors above 12) and registration can be completed at the venue or online at www.djwe.qa. This year’s official DJWE partners, Qatar Airways and Shangri-La Doha are offering travellers discounted rates.
