Bride 2004 opened by director general of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing

The Director General spent an hour touring the exhibition speaking with exhibitors accompanied by Geoffrey Booy, Exhibitions Director of the show's organisers IIR.

After the tour bin Sulayem said: "I am very impressed by Bride 2004. The full package is on offer here in one place and visitors will find everything for a wedding from transportation and hotels to wedding planners, caterers, clothes and jewellery. This is in fact a typical example of Dubai offering everything for the customer."

He said that when he talked to the exhibitors they were all very excited about the show and saw continued growth for the weddings industry.
"Our job at DTCM is to give people reasons to come to Dubai through our campaigns both internationally and locally and through promotions and other tools. It is now true for many that with the services and facilities that we have that Dubai is becoming a wedding and honeymoon destination.'

Bride 2004 runs until Thursday 15 and features over 20 fashion shows and a Young Designers Award which will held at 6pm on the final day.

Jessica Sutherland, Managing Director of IIR Exhibitions, said, "This is our biggest Bride show with the 170 exhibitors taking 40 per cent more space than last year. "There are companies from as far a field as the US, Italy and India and Pakistan along with a very strong showing from the Region."