Expo Centre Sharjah hosts ME Jewellery Designers Forum 2022

The Expo Centre Sharjah (ECS) has hosted a special edition of the Middle East Jewellery Designers Forum 2022 on the third day of the 50th edition of the Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show (WJMES).

The forum, which was organised on Friday, brought together more than 10 high-profile speakers and international experts from the prestigious institutions of gold and jewellery design around the world.

The event discussed a number of jewellery-related topics, including the future trajectory of jewellery designs, new metals, gemstones, fusion, and lab-grown diamonds.

Speakers also discussed education and opportunities for jewellery designs, the latest in education and techniques, job opportunities, jewellery design entrepreneurship, and cross-border jewellery designing.

During the event, it was unanimously agreed that it is very important to intensify efforts to support gold and jewellery professionals and designers. The forum also recommended enhancing designers’ participation in specialised events to highlight their work and enable them to display their designs alongside the most famous brands in the world of gold.

Present at the forum were Saif Mohammad Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, Dr Khalid Al Midfa. Chairman of Sharjah Media City (Shams), Mohammed Dansanta Rimi, Ambassador of Nigeria to the UAE, Albino Malungo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Angola to the UAE.

Also present were Chandu Siroya, Vice Chairman of Dubai Gold & Jewellery Group, a number of government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, as well as representatives of exhibitors, a number of designers, entrepreneurs, professionals, and visitors.

HE Saif Mohammad Al Midfa said that the Middle East Jewellery Designers Forum has been one of the major events hosted on the side-lines of WJMES that discussed important topics related to the future of gold jewellery design.

Al Midfa emphasised that the forum provided attendees with valuable information about the latest developments in the world of jewellery design, and briefed designers on the latest studies, devices, and equipment used in the manufacture and design of jewelleries. The forum has been a great opportunity for designers to acquire new knowledge and gain practical experience necessary to develop their craft skills and enhance their abilities to invent new designs.

He noted that the event was staged primarily to enhance the WJMES’s activities and promote all disciplines associated with the gold and jewellery business, most notably jewellery design, which he described as the core of the sector.

The 50th edition of the Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show (WJMES) kicked off on Wednesday at Expo Centre Sharjah, bringing together more than 400 exhibitors from prominent watch and jewellery businesses from across the world, as well as more than 500 local and foreign brands. This is the highest number of exhibitors that the show has ever seen.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the show was inaugurated by Sheikh Khaled bin Abdullah bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority (SPCFZA). Organised by the Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the five-day event will last until Oct.9 (Sunday).

The show kicked off with a special ceremony marking the event’s Golden Jubilee. Sheikh Khaled bin Abdullah bin Sultan Al Qasimi was present at the ceremony, which was also attended by HE Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the SCCI, HE Waleed Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, Second Deputy Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber, HE Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of the SCCI, and Saif Mohammad Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, as well as other SCCI and Expo Centre’s board members.

Also present were Dr. Khalid Omar Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Media City (Shams), as well as a number of government officials, high-profile figures, members of the diplomatic corps, merchants, and representatives of the gold and jewellery industry.

In addition to showcasing a broad variety of elegant and exquisite jewellery, the opening ceremony featured an extensive display of the show’s major accomplishments over its 50-edition run.

Sheikh Khaled Al Qasimi toured the exhibition halls, where he met with exhibitors and officials of Emirati companies and foreign pavilions and was briefed on the latest products, technologies, and innovative solutions in the gold industry, and the latest collections in watch and jewellery.

“The growing successes that the show achieves year after year are yet another evidence that the UAE’s exhibition sector is swiftly advancing towards global leadership in accordance with the UAE Centennial Plan 2071. And by staging big events in line with the vision and directives of the wise leadership, and focusing on strengthening the exhibition industry, this critical sector will continue to be a crucial source of GDP and an active contributor to supporting a large number of people in the UAE and throughout the world,” Sheikh Khaled said.