Thousands of brides-to-be descended on The Bride Show Abu Dhabi last month, suggesting that the multi-million dollar UAE wedding industry remains resilient in the face of the global downturn.

Following the success of the exhibition, organiser IIR Middle East is expecting the bigger sister event, The Bride Show Dubai, taking place from April 8 to 11, to thrive despite current economic conditions.

A survey conducted by IIR Middle East showed that more than a third of visitors (34 per cent) would spend between Dh100,000 ($27,224) and Dh250,000 ($68,062) on their big day.

When these figures are broken down they show that 43 per cent of couples in the UAE will fork out between Dh20,000 to Dh50,000 on jewellery alone while 21 per cent will spend more than Dh100,000.  Almost a third (29 per cent) of brides-to-be will pay between Dh20,000-Dh30,000 for their wedding dress alone.

Luxury retailers in the region are feeling the effects of the global economic crisis with consumers increasingly wary of unnecessary spending, but the high visitor numbers at The Bride Show Abu Dhabi illustrate that when it comes to the special day, women are prepared to splash out.

The event attracted fiancés and fashionistas alike who came to see the diverse fashion shows, amazing variety of exclusive products and services, and the Crystallised Abaya Design Awards, the popular competition for amateur, locally-based fashion talent.

'Orders have been flooding in, completely against the forecasts for 2009 as a challenging year for the fashion industry, and I am now incredibly busy to meet the demand as well as prepare even bigger things for our fashion show at The Bride Show Dubai,' said Ahmed Al Reyaysa, owner of fashion house Dar Sara.

'We will finally unveil the Dh1million wedding dress – the ultimate luxury for the ultimate bride.'

Women’s Healthcare and Bride Home, running alongside The Bride Show Dubai, will help brides and young women take an active interest in their health and wellbeing, particularly in preparation for their wedding, and newlywed couples start to decorate their marital homes.

Now in its 12th year, the event has additional features including an Inspiration Zone and the popular Crystallised Young Designers Award. 

Exclusive discounts and daily competitions will be taking place and lucky visitors can win grand prizes such as a diamond ring and a luxury honeymoon package with five-star accommodation in London and Dublin.-TradeArabia News Service