The first-of-its-kind International Diamond Week will take place in Dubai from November 11-15, the Dubai Multi Commodities Center (DMCC), the world’s leading free zone and the Government of Dubai Authority for Commodities Trading and Enterprise, announced. DMCC is the main organiser of the gathering of leading figures from the global diamond industry.
The Diamond Week will feature the Dubai Diamond Conference, the Kimberley Process plenary (DMCC CEO Ahmed bin Sulayem is chairing the UAE’s 2024 Kimberley Process) and the JGT Dubai jewellery, gemstones and technology trade show. The sixth edition of the conference will take place on November 11.
The key topics of discussion for industry representatives will be the challenges and opportunities in the global diamond market, including geopolitics, market dynamics, compliance, traceability and ways to stimulate global demand and promotion. The conference, which is held under the theme “Thriving Under Pressure: Navigating New Global Paradigms,” is expected to feature keynote speakers Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and Al Cook, the CEO of De Beers Group.
Held every two years, the DMCC said, the conference aims to spark this year critical conversations around the industry’s most pressing issues. These include supply chain pressures amid economic and geopolitical uncertainty; key market dynamics and competition reshaping global demand; new regulatory and compliance requirements with increased demand for transparency and traceability across the supply chain; and the urgent need for overall promotional action to stimulate demand. Key industry issues will also be addressed through panel sessions.
The conference will be followed by the flagship JGT Dubai jewellery show. Launched two years ago in 2022, JGT Dubai has seen rapid growth and success, becoming one of the signature events in the global gem and jewellery calendar for B2B suppliers, DMCC said. The show will run from 12 to 14 November.
Dubai Diamond Week will conclude with the Kimberley Process (KP) Plenary Meeting that is planned from 12 to 15 November. The session will see key administrative decisions taken as part of the KP’s efforts to regulate the international diamond trade and prevent conflict diamonds from entering the market.
“With the UAE’s trade volumes for rough and polished diamonds rising 12% year-on-year to reach nearly 120 million carats in the first half of 2024, Dubai continues to cement its position as the largest diamond trade hub in the world and where the global discussion on the future of industry takes place,” Ahmed Bin Sulayem said at a press conference.
Hélène Tarin, Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished
