JNA Nov/ Dec 2021

FOCUS 10 | JNA Nov/Dec 2021 (Damian Pankowiec / Shutterstock.com) W ith the international gem and jewellery sector moving towards recovery as pandemic restrictions ease up, industry players are seeking new revenue streams for sustained development. Many worked the downturn of 2020 to their advantage by exploring new technology and concepts to bring their business to the next level. New markets are an integral part of the strategy, and the Middle East is a region that often comes up in the conversation. Much of the activity in this bustling market is centred on Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The city is a shining oasis of modernity, creativity and innovation. And this extends to its gem and jewellery sector, which offers manifold wholesale and retail business prospects. The UAE is a very fast-moving and commercially minded country bent on facilitating trade and connecting buyers and sellers, noted Martin Leake, special advisor – Precious Stones of DMCC or the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre. Mandated to diversify Dubai’s economy, DMCC was established in 2002 to enhance commodity trade flows through the city. Leake said, “Dubai is a major jewellery trading hub. It is connected to 65 per cent of the world’s population within an eight-hour direct flight, thereby offering companies tremendous business opportunities. We aim to grow the gold, precious stones, diamond and jewellery sectors, which currently represent around 27 per cent of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the UAE.” TO WIDEN BUSINESS HORIZONS 新興市場商機無限 Tapping emerging markets With market-diversification initiatives figuring prominently in growth strategies in a post-lockdown world, JNA looks at business prospects in the Middle East and Africa that offer valuable opportunities for the international jewellery trade. 市場多元化的舉措，在疫情解封後的全球商貿發展策略中佔據重要地位， 而中東和非洲正為國際珠寶業提供了寶貴的機會。 《 JNA 亞洲珠宝》放眼這兩個地區的商業前景。 | Olivia Quiniquini 程愛莉 |