Doha's Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (DJWE) returns this year with new added features including jewellery and watch-making workshops, educational seminars and more, organiser Qatar Tourism Authority has announced. The exhibition takes place from February 23 to 27 at the new Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC), where visitors can also purchase high-end ornaments and timepieces.
In parallel, the DJWE will offer free, on-the-spot gem assessment by the International Gemological Institute, the DJWE’s laboratory and education partner, for visitors looking to validate the quality of their stones.Uniquely, among the world’s jewellery trade shows, the DJWE permits exhibitors to sell directly to the public. Visitors to DJWE will be able to survey and select from a wide range of exquisite jewellery and watches – investments that they will undoubtedly adore for decades.Meanwhile, even more rigorous selection standards for exhibitors at DJWE 2016 suggest that the quality of the products on display will be truly extraordinary. 'DJWE is an admirable example of Qatari success and after the significant year we’ve had for business events, I am delighted that the industry will kick off 2016 with one of the world’s leading jewellery and watch exhibitions,' says Hamad Al Abdan, head of exhibitions at QTA. 'Qatar is undoubtedly the pre-eminent location in which to appreciate the highest quality of products, and I call on exhibitors to take on this opportunity to showcase their creations in this unique setting.' A visit to Doha during DJWE week is also a unique opportunity to stay in some of the world’s best hotels and sample fine dining at Doha’s prestigious restaurants. Culture seekers can visit the Museum of Islamic Art, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Katara Cultural Village and Souq Waqif.Now in its 13th year, DJWE is a well-established event on the regional calendar. Many celebrated brands will return to the exhibition this year, including each of the 500 that participated last year along with a significant number of new exhibitors from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy and Australia. In all, exhibitors from over 27 countries are set to feature this year and an unprecedented 30,000 visitors are expected. The new DECC boasts vast pillar-less floor area, superb lighting, central location and high-end amenities over 29,000 sqm of exhibiting space, an increase of 16 per cent on last year.Jaber Al Ansari, group CEO of DJWE organisers, Elan Group, informs that visitors this year will experience easy registration on an improved online application, and VIPs will have special access to a private viewing room. This year, pearls and men’s watches will feature prominently, he says, with specially crafted visitor routes to facilitate easy navigation between exhibiting brands.This year, Fira Barcelona, one of the most important trade fair organisations in Europe, and Spain’s market leader has also partnered with DJWE.