With over 500 participating exhibitors and leading brands from the Gem and Jewellery Industry, the 47th Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show opened today (October 1) at the Expo Centre Sharjah.

It was inaugurated by Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Deputy Chairman of Sharjah Executive Council.

The bi-annual event is being organised and hosted by the Expo Centre Sharjah, with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The five-day event will see top brands showcasing the season’s most exquisite and intricately crafted jewellery creations and luxurious watches.

A key highlight this year is a majestic ring studded with the most number of diamonds. The ring had won the Guinness World Record for its astounding 7,777 pieces of round, brilliant-cut natural diamonds.

After the opening, Sheikh Abdullah toured the different pavilions and was introduced to the latest regional and global developments and exhibits in the watches and jewellery sector.

He was accompanied by Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the SCCI and Expo Centre Sharjah, and Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, as well as the other SCCI board members.

During the expo tour, he visited the stall hosting the Guinness World Record ring and also stopped by the Salem Al Shueibi Jewellery stand, the platinum sponsor of the event, and visited the Emirati Designers pavilion.

Al Owais reaffirmed that the Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show had become one of the most prominent exhibitions in the UAE, providing a perfect opportunity for businessmen to close deals, build successful partnerships and do business.

Owing to its popularity, the exhibition will be exclusively open for ladies on Wednesday from 12 to 4pm.

"The Expo Centre Sharjah is very keen to play a pivotal role in driving the jewellery industry in the emirate, which has won confidence across the globe for its gold standards," stated Saif Al Midfa.

The UAE accounts for some 14 per cent of the world's gold trade and 20 percent of the world's sale of precious metals," he added.-TradeArabia News Service