Destination Dubai at Baselworld 2006 showcases immense business opportunities
Visitors to Baselworld 2006, the world’s leading annual watch and jewellery show in Basel, Switzerland, had a taste of friendly Arabian hospitality, courtesy of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), which hosted a reception today for local and visiting journalists at the event.
The function was held at ‘Destination Dubai,’ a unique Arab style tent, set up in typical majlis fashion alongside the jewellery show, with the objective of showcasing and promoting the ‘Dubai’ brand and reinforcing Dubai’s position as a destination for the gold, diamond and jewellery industries.
‘As the leading authority providing industry specific market infrastructure and a full range of facilities for the jewellery industry, the DMCC plays a significant role in driving the growing volumes of trade in gold, precious metals, diamonds and jewellery in and through the region,’ said Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chief Operating Officer, DMCC. ‘Baselworld is one of the leading international trade platforms for the watch and jewellery industry and the DMCC’s participation at this event underlines our commitment to growing and developing this industry further,’ he added.
Commenting on ‘Destination Dubai,’ Gaiti Rabbani, Chief Marketing Officer, DMCC said: ‘DMCC epitomizes Dubai in many ways, incorporating its established merchant culture, hospitable customs and tremendous ease of doing business. DMCC has also worked extensively to streamline the trade in precious metals, jewellery, diamonds and other commodities through Dubai. This tent is a symbol of ‘Brand Dubai’, an attempt to promote Dubai as a destination of choice to a targeted group of frequent traveling businesspeople with international business operations.’
The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) is a strategic initiative of the Dubai Government created to establish a commodity market place in Dubai. Rated ‘A’ by Standard & Poor’s, it provides industry-specific market infrastructure and a full range of facilities for the gold, precious metals, diamonds and coloured stones industries.
DMCC has contributed to creating greater transparency and efficient business standards in the gold, jewellery and diamond industry in the Middle East with the introduction of several services including the Dubai Gold Receipt (DGR), an innovative electronic vault receipt system for accessing gold financing and the Dubai Good Delivery (DGD) standard to improve tradability and distribution for gold and silver bars. The DGD standard covers the delivery standards for gold and silver contracts on the Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX), a subsidiary of the DMCC. The world’s first ISO certified gem certification service for diamonds, gemstones, pearls, and jewellery items is also offered by the DMCC under the Dubai Gem Certification.
In December last year, DMCC also launched the ‘Dubai Cut’ a unique, patented 99-faceted cut of diamond, which will be exclusively produced for DMCC by Kristall Corporation, the leading Russian diamond manufacturer. The diamond is mined by the Russian mining company Alrosa, the second largest diamond mining company in the world.
Made of brightly coloured canvas, the open 200-square meter ‘Destination Dubai’ tent proved to be a great attraction for visitors to the Jewellery show, as it enabled them to experience Dubai’s distinctive attractions at first hand. The dedicated hospitality/networking area, strategically positioned in the diamonds hall, was equipped with traditional Arab style furniture and offered guests ethnic Arab coffee and dates.
BASELWORLD is recognized as the world’s leading trade promotion platform for the watch and jewellery industry and hosts more than 2,200 exhibitors in watches, jewellery, precious gems and related brands. The show attracts approximately 85,000 retailers and wholesalers who can browse through a select assortment of products in luxurious surroundings covering over 160,000 m2 of exhibition area on several floors.
