Dubai hot on Saudi trail in jewellery fabrication

Dubai is fast catching up with Saudi Arabia as the largest fabricator of gold jewellery in the region with around 100 tonnes of jewellery being rolled out from this market every year, according to Tawhid Abdullah, chairman of the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group.

Abdullah was speaking at a meeting organised to announce the Group's plans to hold its second major conference under the patronage of General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence.

The theme of the conference will be the growth of Dubai as a major international hub for the jewellery, gems and precious metals industry and it will be held on December 6 and 7 at the Emirates Towers Hotel with participation by global industry experts.

Abdullah said the conference was designed to enhance the emirate's rapidly growing position as one of the true global centres for the jewellery, gems and precious metals industry.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates Group, will open the event.

The government speakers include Dr Mohammed Khalfan bin Kharbash, Minister of State for Finance and Industry; Sultan bin Sulayem, executive chairman of the Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corp; and Mohammed Al Gergawi, chairman, Dubai Development and Investment Authority.

The other speakers will include Kelvin Williams, executive director, marketing, for the world's leading gold mining company, AngloGold; John Wixley, global head, structured products, Standard Bank; Stephen Lussier, executive director of the Diamond Trading Company (De Beers); and James Courage, chief executive of the London-based Platinum Guild International.

The conference is being organised by the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group with the support of international, regional and local companies and organisations.

This year the event is being organised with the support of the Dubai Metals and Commodities Centre in association with Omega Investment Research of South Africa. The official carrier for the conference is Emirates airline.