Qatar remains one of the top jewellery and luxury destinations globally due to the high standard of collections – from precious gems to iconic watches – showcased at the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition (DJWE), Alfardan Group chairman Hussain Ibrahim Alfardan has said.
“Our jewellery exhibition is famous around the world because of quality. Everything you see here (in Qatar) is luxury,” he told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the 17th edition of DJWE 2020, taking place at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.
The six-day exhibition, organised by Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), opened on Monday under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani. It brings together renowned international and Qatari brands under one roof.
The DJWE serves as a leading platform for lovers of luxury and jewellery to see the latest trends and innovations in the industry, attracting a large number of foreign visitors from around the world.
Alfardan said the highest standard of jewellery and watches is presented at the exhibition, which hosts 129 exhibitors from 14 countries and showcases 500 local and international brands, spread across 33,000sqm of space. These include well-known and popular brands such as Vacheron Constantin, Tiffany and Co., Dior, Chopard and Faberge, among others, housed at the Alfardan Pavilion.
“We are trying our best to keep it in that standard and it will remain in that standard. There is a big demand from the whole region to visit this place,” he added.
“I am personally very proud because I started the exhibition in the past and now it has become international and I hope this is just the first day and I hope this year will be exceptional,” Alfardan continued.
Citing the country’s strong economy and the huge support by the government to the private sector, he expressed confidence that the future of Qatar’s jewellery and luxury industry will remain bright as it is today.
“Our economy is very strong, the plan of our government is clear, we are independent, we are having our own policy, and we are trying our best to depend on ourselves,” Alfardan stressed. “We are moving ahead strongly in the private sector supported by the government sector, we are doing very well together and we have started to be self-sufficient in many products.”
About Alfardan Jewellery’s tradition of highlighting Qatar’s heritage in its collections, he underlined the importance of the history of the pearl and pearl diving, which was the source of livelihood in the region in the past.
“We are pearl divers, pearl dealers and pearl experts; so, our incomes depend on the pearl. After a long time, maybe 70 or 80 years, the pearl business dropped but luckily, we had oil,” Alfardan said.
“We recovered quickly and the pearl became a luxury thing, not everybody has it because nobody is diving, it is very difficult to get the pearl and so it became very expensive,” he explained, adding that the cultured pearl failed to keep its value compared to the natural pearl.
Now, Alfardan noted, the natural pearl has become more expensive and precious than any stone in the world. Some of these rare and exclusive pearl collections, as well as other gems and diamonds, are showcased by Alfardan Jewellery at its pavilion.
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