Kimberley Process opens second office in Almas Tower

Currently operating within the Dubai Airport Freezone alongside the Transguard offices, the second KP office at the Almas Tower will further support diamond traders, by authenticating the ethical sourcing of rough diamonds traded via Dubai.

The KPCS is a joint government, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds. It was set up to assure consumers that by purchasing diamonds they were not financing conflict or the abuse of human rights. The Kimberley Process is a UN mandated system, and today over 99% of all rough diamonds are certified through the Kimberley Process to be from conflict free sources.

In 2003, the UAE became the first Arab country to introduce the process. The KP office under DMCC management is the only authorised entity in the UAE to certify imports and exports of conflict-free rough diamonds, a process that was delegated to DMCC by the Ministry of Economy.

Ahmed bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, DMCC, said:

"As the newest hub for the commodity trade, Almas Tower was designed to become a one-stop shop for all diamond trade-related requirements. Its state-of-the-art facilities for security and storage, as well as the Dubai Diamond Exchange, Transguard Group and Brinks, being located in the same premises, will make it a more practical platform for diamond traders to grow their business. It is only natural that the Kimberley Process offices should be housed at Almas Tower within the heart of diamond trade activity. This will serve to further boost the ease and confidence of traders in the ethical trade of diamonds."

Maryam Al Hashemi, Director of Kimberley Process, said: "Over the past six years since opening the first Kimberly Process office in Dubai, we have seen the rough diamond trade increase by 169% for exports and 200% for imports. The significant rise in trade opportunities has necessitated the opening of a second office at Almas Tower. This will also place us in a stronger position to cater to the growing needs of diamond members here in the UAE."