The Mid East Jewellery and Watch show, Sharjah is being planned to be organised on the first week of October and is pitted as an important exhibition in the GCC region with increased number of visitors and exhibitors expected at the event. The highlight of the exhibition is a first of its kind "Japanese Pavilion". Exquisite products will be showcased by leading Japanese companies during the show and the exhibition is expected to attract more number of Jewellery buyers from Iran, Saudi Arabia etc.

The VOD Dubai International Jewellery Show is slated to be held between the 14th to the 17th November 2018. The New Jeweller International Group is yet again putting up a grand event this year at the VOD through the "Middle East Jewellery Designers' Forum 2018". This event in its second edition is being planned to be organised during the VOD Dubai show on the 15th of November 2018. Leading jewellery designers from the GCC, Industry members, Dignitaries and Educationists are expected to partake in this grand forum. Presentations, panel discussions and debate will be the highlight of the forum and we do feel this will go a long way in understanding the benefits and challenges faced by the Industry pertaining to Jewellery design and designers.

In this issue we have an exclusive with Mr Kenneth Scaratt, CEO, DANAT: Bahrain Institute for Pearls & Gemstones. DANAT is expanding to foreign shores equipped with state of the art testing technology, an efficient and qualified team, and not to mention the first of its kind Library that is being set up to bring in one place all important content regarding the world of gems and jewellery. This initiative of DANAT will be highly beneficial for the entire gemmology and grading fraternity of the world as an important reference.

Lastly with the jewellery sector of Dubai having experienced VAT for the last 9 months, are getting accustomed to the taxation policies and inventory management, but with a hope that looking into the global economic downturn and slipping jewellery potential in the emirate, the authorities would relax certain norms imposed, albeit for a short period of time.