Watch & Jewellery Dubai's gala dinner honors industry heavy weights

The event was an evening of celebration gathering industry professionals, associations and corporates together to witness the launch of Rosy Blue's new retail collection and the Watch & Jewellery Dubai Industry Awards.

The evening saw the debut of the UAE's first Jewellery Awards an initiative taken by WJD 2006 to give thanks and appreciation to the innovation and hard work exemplified by the jewellery industry.

"We were delighted by the strong industry support and enthusiasm for the awards from the industry. Many of the categories were keenly contented, making it a tough job for our distinguished panel of judges to pick that all important winner, "said Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General, Dubai World Trade Centre, organiser of Watch & Jewellery Dubai.

Damas was the largest winner of the evening collecting three awards for Best Retail Chain and Best UAE Designer and Dubai Gold Award. Other winners included Scintilla Monaco for Dubai Diamond Award, Brusidue for Best International Designer and Salem Al Shueibi for Best Marketing Campaign.

"The Awards were a great success and it was wonderful to see such a selection of local and international companies taking the stage. Such recognition is an important new element to WJD and we look forward to working with the industry to develop these awards for the coming years," Mr Al Marri added.

Also unveiled at the event were international designer Rosy Blue's new retail collections, presented exclusively to the attendees. The catwalk showcased new exquisite lines including pieces from the Mist, Carino and Cascade ranges of jewellery.

The 12th edition of WJD was opened today by H.H. Shk. Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority on Tuesday 12 December 2006 at 06:00 pm and promises to offer both exhibitors and visitors an array of new attractions and events. With Dubai's strategic location as a significant factor for the venue of the exhibition, it serves as an important meeting point between Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Included this year amongst the events for the show is a Damas Catwalk of Jewels on the 15th December at 7pm and the Damas Bridal Collection on the 16th December at 6pm. The fashion catwalks will take place in the Sheikh Maktoum Hall for both consumer and exhibitor viewing. In addition, the UAE's first industry WJD and DTC Round Table discussion for the diamond industry takes place on the 14th December.

Watch & Jewellery Dubai 2006 takes place from the 12-16 December 2006 and will be open from 3pm 10pm, Tuesday to Thursday at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. On Friday and Saturday, the Show will be open from 4pm to 10pm. Children under the age of 16 are not permitted entry to the exhibition at any time.