Jewellery Arabia 2007 creates history in Middle East with biggest show to date

All roads in the Kingdom of Bahrain led to the vast and sprawling 16,000 sq. m. Bahrain International Exhibition Centre for the 16th Edition of Jewellery Arabia 2007 during the five day period Tuesday, 13 November to Saturday, 17 November 2007.

The biggest in the long-running & prestigious Jewellery Arabia exhibition series was inaugurated by its patron, HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Also present at the opening ceremony was a large accompanying delegation comprising Member of the Bahrain Royal Family, senior Government officials, diplomats, VIPs, other specially-invited guests and trade professionals drawn from all sectors of the industry.

At $30bn, the Middle East is one of the biggest and potentially most promising jewellery markets in the world. The Kingdom of Bahrain has been the traditional gateway to a vast hinterland and a centre of the time-honoured pearl diving trade in its heyday. Jewellery Arabia continues to be both the business and commercial platform for the Middle East to showcase the latest in the volatile and competitive field of premium watches, fine jewellery and exquisite pens.

Jewellery Arabia 2007, which experienced a 6% growth rate in exhibition space over the 2006 event, has conclusively demonstrated its position as the definitive industry event of its kind in the region.

Over 500 premium quality exhibitors from 28 nations revealed their exquisite products at Jewellery Arabia 2007 from outstandingly finished jewellery to luxury timepieces to precious stones of every size, shape and cut.

To accommodate increased demand for space from exhibitors, Arabian Exhibition Management (AEM) commissioned two temporary halls to extend the existing facilities at the Exhibition Centre making Jewellery Arabia 2007 the biggest show to date.

A specially designed glass-fronted atrium sited at the main entrance was constructed to create an additional 1,000 sq. m. of high quality exhibition space and an improved registration area for visitors and VIPs. The second 1,000 sq. m. structure on the North face of the Exhibition Centre for a third year in a row.

Jewellery Arabia 2007 attracted an all-time high attendance record of 43,638 jewellery trade buyers and private collectors, reflecting a substantial 8% increase in visitors compared to the 2006 event, according to a statement by Arabian Exhibition Management.

Of the total number, 13,650 visitors (31%) were drawn from the region's single largest jewellery market—Saudi Arabia, (the fifth largest jewellery market in the world), not surprisingly given the close proximity of the two kingdoms. Significant support also came from Kuwait, Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates and several other Middle Eastern countries. One prominent VIP attending Jewellery Arabia 2007 was HRH Prince Mohammed Bin Fahad Bin Abdul Aziz, Governor of Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province and Member of the Saudi Royal Family.

Jewellery Arabia 2007 attracted national pavilions from leading jewellery export countries including Brazil, Greece, Germany, Lebanon, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Thailand and Turkey. A highlight of Jewellery Arabia 2007 was the participation of more than 15 Bahrain gold, pearl and jewellery merchants and about the same number of local agents in 300 sq. m. of exhibition space, thanks to the efforts of the Kingdom's Ministry of Industry & Commerce in conjunction with the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI).

Displays of the latest high-quality jewellery collections and luxury watches came from such lofty international brands as the House of Cartier, Chopard, De Beers, Graff Diamonds, Harry Winston, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Breguet, Vacheron Constantin, A. Lange & Sohne, Franck Muller, Van Cleef & Arpels, David Morris, Vancox, New Italian Art and many, many more. A strong Bahraini contingent complemented this line up. Bahraini participants included Asia Jewellers, Bahrain Jewellery Centre, Taqi's Jewellery, Al Mahmood Pearls, M. M. Hatam Sharief & Sons and Al Zain Jewellery among others.

An important highlight of Jewellery Arabia 2007 was the hosting of the MPParabia-inspired and initiated Premier Middle East Watches, Jewellery & Pens Awards—2007 Edition at the prestigious Al Ghazal Ballroom at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, the most luxurious in the Kingdom.

Over 300 dignitaries including Members of Royalty, the celebrities, special invitees, Government officials, diplomats, and senior industry professionals congregated at the venue for a gala sit-down official dinner reception to witness the proceedings. There were 20 awards recipients—10 for the Watches categories and 5 each for Jewellery & Pens categories.

The awards reflect MPPArabia's singular efforts to recognize and reward top industry names for their creativity and distinction. The awards will no doubt help to foster cohesion in the industry and trigger healthy competition among the top brand names whilst also acknowledging their professional input to the industry. It will also help to turn the spotlight on the industry's fortunes in the Middle East, already one of the fastest growing regions in the world for many of the industry's participants.

"The Premier Middle East Watches, Jewellery & Pens Awards series have now come into their own and established their unique identity within the broader industry framework in the Middle East whilst setting standards and reflecting both aspirations from the trade and expectations from the watch aficionado community in the region," commented Nader Freiha, Executive Director, MPParabia.

"The eagerly-awaited Premier Awards, now an annual fixture at Jewellery Arabia, are the industry benchmark for the region and we are overwhelmed with its spectacular success. As the premier industry title, Arabian Watches & Jewellery Magazine will continue to work closely with this dynamic industry to bring more value to the trade and spearhead other issues of general and mutual concern," added Freiha.

Among the dignitaries addressing the distinguished gathering were Sheikh Mohamed Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Chairman, Arabian Exhibition Management, Mr. Mohammed Fathallah, Acting Chief Executive of Bahrain Exhibitions & Conferences Authority (BECA) on behalf of the Minister of Industry & Commerce and Peter Schoppmann, Middle East Director for Rolls Royce, a sponsor of the event.

To ensure completed objectivity and impartiality, MPParabia introduced the following mechanisms to streamline the processing of the voting processing. These included:
Specially Tailored Website: To begin with, a special website was created by the MPParabia technical team to invite potential international brands and other applicants to file their e-nominations. Within a short period of time MPParabia received 403 nominations from leading international brands.

Awards Judging Committee: Each of the entries was carefully scrutinized and evaluated by an independent committee of 16 members carefully drawn from well-known connoisseurs and collectors of watches, jewellery and pens in the region.

Public e-voting: Simultaneously, e-voting was also open to member of the public who were made aware of the mechanism through a well-orchestrated advertising campaign conducted throughout the Middle East in English and Arabic. The results were spectacular. MPParabia received in excess of 11,000 entries from enthusiasts across the Middle East over the five-day voting period, 1 to 5 November 2007.
Voter Incentive: One lucky winner, determined randomly by the computer will be given a splendid Chopard watch as a token of appreciation for his / her participation in the voting process.

Pre-determined Vote weightage: The Committee vote was weighted at a pre-determined 70 % and the public e-voting was valued at a pre-determined 30 % of the final vote. This was necessary to allocate 'balance' to the large number of votes received.

Auditors: The entire procedure was continually monitored by an external, independent agency.
In a related move, MPParabia also announced the presentation of the 'Arab Cultural Personality for the Year 2007' award. The Award is presented annually to a prominent, Arab celebrity with an enormous contribution to the cause of Arab Culture. This year's recipient was the veteran Lebanese legendary violinist Jihad Akl. A premium Chopard Watch was also presented to Jihad Akl as a token of appreciation by Hugues Jucker, the International Sales Director for the brand.

The following are the winners of the Premier Middle East Watches, Jewellery & Pens Awards in their respective categories and sections:

I) Watches Categories:

1) Category: Best Multi-Time Zone Watch
Finalists: a) Patek Philippe, World Time Ref. 5130 in platinum
b) Chopard, The 'Mile Miglia GMT 2005' Chronograph
c) Harry Winston, Project Z4

The Winner: Patek Philippe, World Time Ref. 5130 R-W

2) Category: Best Tourbillon Watch
Finalists: a) Audemars Piguet, Jules Audemars Manual Winding Tourbillon
b) De Witt Tourbillon a Force Constante
c) Patek Philippe, Tourbillon with Minute Repeater, Ref 5016 in 18 k rose gold

The Winner: Audemars Piguet, Jules Audemars Manual Winding Tourbillon

3) Category: Best Classical Watch
Finalists: a) Panerai, Radiomir 1936
b) IWC Watch, Da Vinci Chronograph
c) Cartier, Ballon Bleu de Cartier

The Winner: Panerai, Radiomir 1936

4) Category: Best High-End Jewelled Watch
Finalists: a) Chanel, J12
b) Jaeger LeCoultre, La Rose
c) Patek Philippe, Gondolo Gemma, Ref 4993 in 18 k white gold

The winner: Chanel, J12

5) Category: Best Technical Innovation Watch
Finalists: a) Hublot, Mag Bang
b) Audemars Piguet, Millenary Watch with Deadbeat Seconds
c) Panerai, Ferrari Perpetual Calendar

The Winner: Hublot, Mag Bang

6) Category: Best Sports Watch
Finalists: a) Harry Winston, Ocean Diver
b) Zenith / LVMH, Xtreme Open
c) Patek Philippe, Aquanaut, Ref 5167A Extra Large

The Winner: Harry Winston, Ocean Diver

7) Category: Best Men's Watch
Finalists: a) IWC Watches, Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Ltd Kurt Klaus
b) Cartier, Pasha Seatimer Chronograph
c) IWC Watches, Pilot St. Exupery Courier Sud

The Winner: IWC Watches, Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Ltd Kurt Klaus

8) Category: Best Ladies Watch
Finalists: a) Zenith / LVMH, Glam Rock
b) Harry Winston, New Avenue
c) Vacheron Constantin, 1972 Small Model

The Winner: Zenith / LVMH, Glam Rock

9) Category: Best Chronograph Watch
Finalists: a) Chopard, Mille Miglia Jacky Ickx Edition 4
b) Zenith / LVMH, Classic Chrono Aero
c) Patek Philippe, Chronograph with Perpetual Calendar, Ref 5971 in Platinum

The Winner: Chopard, Mille Miglia Jacky Ickx Edition 4

10) Category: Best Design Watch
Finalists: a) Jaeger LeCoultre, Master Compressor Extreme LAB
b) Patek Philippe, Gondolo Gemma Ref. 4949 in 18 k white gold
c) Cartier, Ronde folle

The Winner: Jaeger LeCoultre, Master Compressor Extreme LAB

II) Jewellery Categories:
1) Category: Best High-End Jewellery
Finalists: a) Piaget, Limelight Party Jewellery
b) Van Cleef & Arpels, Oiseau Mysterieux
c) Harry Winston, Jewellery

The Winner: Piaget, Limelight Party Jewellery

2) Category: Best Diamond-Studded Necklace
Finalists: a) Cartier, Tsar Necklace
b) Piaget, Limelight Party Jewellery
c) Van Cleef & Arpels, Tie Necklace

The Winner: Cartier, Tsar Necklace

3) Category: Most Colourful Jewellery Set
Finalists: a) Van Cleef & Arpels, Necklace & Earrings, Hyderabad
b) Cartier, Delices de Cartier
c) Damiani, Necklace & Earrings

The Winner: Van Cleef & Arpels, Necklace & Earrings, Hyderabad

4) Category: Best Fashionable Jewellery
Finalists: a) Damiani, Bracelet
b) Roger Dubuis, Love Carousel
c) Piaget, Limelight Jewellery

The Winner: Damiani, Bracelet

5) Category:Best Islamic Design Jewellery Piece
Finalists: a) Al Zain, Islamic Design Necklace
b) Cartier, Fatiha Hand
c) New Italian Art, Citrine Necklace with matching Earring

The Winner: Al Zain, Islamic Design Necklace

III) Pens Categories
1) Category: Best Arts & Craftsmanship
Finalists: a) Montblanc, Mont Blanc Massif
b) Caran d'Ache, 1010
c) Cartier, Panthere De Cartier Exceptional Pen

The Winner: Montblanc, Mont Blanc Massif

2) Category: Best Theme Pen
Finalists: a) Caran d'Ache, 1010
b) Cartier, Diabolo Rock n Roll
c) Visconti, Fountain Pen

The Winner: Caran d'Ache 1010

3) Category: Best Modern & Contemporary Pen
Finalists: a) Montegrappa, Emblema Montegrappa's Icon
b) Cartier, Backgammon Decor
c) Caran d'Ache, 1010

The Winner: Montegrappa, Emblema Montegrappa's Icon

4) Category: Best Diamond Pen Collection
Finalists: a) Chopard, Writing Instruments
b) Cartier, Crocodiles de Cartier
c) Chopard, Chopard Diamond Beauty Pen

The Winner: Chopard, Writing Instruments

5) Category: Best Historical Icon
Finalists: a) Cartier, Santos de Cartier
b) Caran d'Ache, 1010
c) Visconti, Fountain Pen

The Winner: Cartier, Santos de Cartier

Arabian Exhibition Management (AEM), organizers, has also announced the dates for the 17th edition of Jewellery Arabia 2008 which will be held at its usual venue from Tuesday, 25 November to Saturday, 29 November 2008.

The success of Jewellery Arabia 2007 is reflected in the fact that 85% of available space of the 2008 Show was sold before the close of the exhibition.