The Qatari Big 5, global names ranging from Chanel and Cartier to Graff and Rolex, independent jewellers from France, India, Lebanon and Turkey, and emerging designers from Doha, there is plenty at the Doha Jewellery & Watches exhibition to keep visitors enthralled.
The 14th edition of the annual DJWE event is being held this year from February 20 to February 25 in Doha’s West Bay area. Centred on a fairy-tale-inspired theme – Once Upon a Time … Luxury – the event will showcase more than 400 brands through 40 exhibitors from 10 countries.
Qatar’s top luxury groups, including Al Fardan, Ali bin Ali, Al Darwish, Al Majed and Blue Salon will take over the majority of the stalls. Between them, these groups represent and retail many of the world’s biggest watch and jewellery houses in Qatar, and have been exhibiting at DJWE since its inception more than a decade ago. Some of the high-profile brands they will showcase this year include Hublot, Patek Philippe, Van Cleef & Arpels, Ulysse Nardin, Montblanc, Boucheron, Breitling and MB&F.
In addition, Qatar’s most prestigious shopping destination, Fifty One East, has launched the Young Qatari Designers initiative, a platform enabling budding local talent to showcase their collections. The designers that have been brought on board this year include: Noor Al Fardan, known for her Arabian and henna-inspired designs; Nada Al Sulaiti, who embodies the concept of wearable art; Sarah Al Hammadi, who specialises in bridal and wedding jewellery; Fajr Al Attiya, who creates symbolic four-leaf clover designs; Nouf Al Meer, who is inspired by animals and nature; and Ghada Al Bouanain, who works with unconventional materials such as pipes and wires.
Another first at DJWE this year is the Objectif Horlogerie workshop. Enthusiasts can play watchmaker for a day by attending this accredited session conducted by the Paris-based clock-specialists. Guests can observe and participate in the disassembling, cleaning, lubrication, reassembling and adjustment of a mechanical timepiece. Takebacks include a diploma from Objectif Horlogerie as well as a manual and tutorial, so you can continue to practise your new skills. The 90-minute sessions are held several times over the course of the five days and are free to preregister for on the website.
Lovers of classic and vintage jewellery are in for a treat, too. A specially curated exhibition will showcase vintage, privately owned jewels and timepieces never before shown in Doha. Additionally, you can visit stalls by seven independent jewellers: Davidor from France, Bellina Collection from Italy, Voyageur from Lebanon, Baheti from India, Karun Jewellery from Turkey, Anan Anjamani from Thailand and Amber by Mazukna from Lithuania.
State-of-the-art timepieces and vintage and contemporary jewels aside, the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition will also play host to Studio Harcourt, which opened its doors in Paris in 1934. Known for its high-profile clients – from Salvador Dalí and Queen Rania of Jordan to Marion Cotillard, Michael Schumacher Kevin Spacey and Karl Lagerfeld – the studio will set up a temporary pavilion at DJWE where visitors can get their own black-and-white Harcourt’s portrait, shot using its characteristic style, lighting and make-up.
The Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition is from February 20 to 25 this year. Entry is free, and is reserved for visitors over the age of 12. For more information, visit www.djwe.qa.
pmunyal@thenational.ae
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
if you go
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
