Ahmed Al Obaidli (centre) from Qatar National Tourism Council; Youssef Jassim Fakhroo (right), Head of External Communications at QNB, and Mazen Abd Rabbo, Vice-President of Middle East Auditoire, during the press conference to announce Qatar Show at the
The Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (DJWE), one of the longest running exhibitions in Qatar, has been rebranded as “Qatar Show” ushering in the beginning of a new chapter in which it takes on a more leading role in the global jewellery market.
The show’s new name and logo were unveiled at a press conference held at Shangri-La Hotel Doha yesterday to announce the upcoming event presented by Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) and delivered by Auditoire from February 20 to 25 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.
“This is Qatar Show’s 16th consecutive year, and the large number of participants from across the globe – from Geneva to Mumbai, to Paris and Beirut – shows the confidence that international, regional, and local brands have in the Qatari market,” said Ahmed Al Obaidli from QNTC.
Al Obaidli added the show “provides a remarkable networking platform for companies and visitors in Qatar and beyond, and displays Qatar’s renowned hospitality, and world-class exhibition and conference infrastructure capabilities including showrooms, facilities, and organisers.”
Highlighting the show’s remarkable growth, Mazen Abd Rabbo, Vice-President at Auditoire Middle East, said, “We have seen the number of visitors to the exhibition swell. From 19,300 visitors in 2017, the number leaped to 23,300 visitors in 2018 despite the geopolitical challenge.”
He said Qatar Show has also continued to attract an increasing number of exhibitors and brands.
“The growth has seen a 17 percent increase in brands represented from 2017 to 2018; 93 percent of the brands are international, with over a third originating from Switzerland and Italy. In 2019, we are expecting over 500 international luxury brands from more than 10 countries, introducing prominent international newcomers along with the most talented emerging designers from Qatar,” said Rabbo.
The number of Young Qatari Designers taking part in the exhibition has doubled to 12 participants compared to the previous edition.
This year, Qatar Show welcomes several international newcomers including Tiffany & Co and L’Atelier du Bracelet Parisien (ABP). They come to join other major market players such as Bulgari which returns to showcase its ensemble of fine Italian jewellery and watches.
Tiffany & Co is set to impress visitors with one of their most exquisite diamonds which will be on show while ABP will display its renowned custom made leather watch straps for most luxury watches brands. ABP crafted the strap that equipped the most expensive watch of all time during its auction on October 26th, 2017: Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona sold for a record $17.8m.
Qatar Show will once again run the Forum as a major side event bringing together experts in the watch and jewellery industry, international and Qatar-based influencers, and the international media for interactive talks on areas of interest including the history of the jewellery market and industry trends.
There will be a dedicated Indian Pavilion as part of the Qatar-India Year of Culture in 2019. Indian designers will showcase their latest and finest jewellery, curated for the local community. Exquisitely intricate pieces will reflect the strong heritage and exceptional craftsmanship which the country’s jewellers are known for.
Other exciting features of the show are master watch workshop by French watch-making expert Objectif Horlogerie, gemmology and jewellery making workshops, daily informal educational talks by French expert Geoffroy Ader and the newly created Qatar Watch Club and free consultations and valuations by iconic French auction house Artcurial.
Qatar Show also has strong support from local sponsors and partners including Qatar National Bank, Maserati , Qatar Airways, Shangri-La Hotel and Middle East Media (MPP).
