World Luxury Expo draws 40 exhibitors

The three-day World Luxury Expo started on Tuesday, with some 40 exhibitors of well-known and expensive brands occupying a 3,500 square meter area on the ground floor of the upscale Ritz Carlton in Riyadh along Makkah Road.
“We're indeed happy to hold this exhibition in the Saudi capital. Only VIPs — high rollers, CEOs, businessmen — have been invited to this event which ends tomorrow,” Robert Molenaar, executive director, told Arab News.
Shaekha Saleh, assisted by Prince Khalid bin Abdulrahman bin Abdullah Alfaisal, inaugurated the exhibition on behalf of Princess Nouf bint Faisal bin Turki Al-Saud, chairperson of the Nayyara Exhibitions, which collaborated with World Luxury Group in holding the show.
Molenaar said the World Luxury Group “sent out 20,000 hard copy invitations, aside from those made online, but we expect from 5,000 to 10,000 guests to attend this event, which ends on Thursday.”
“If 5,000 could come to see the luxury products on display, that would be big by any stretch of the imagination. It would be unique for us as far as the Middle East is concerned,” he said.
According to American Express, one of the major sponsors, there were 4,500 visitors to the event when it was held in the Saudi capital in January 2012. Another major sponsor is the Saudi Investment Bank (SAIB).
“The exhibition showcases various top-of-the-line products, ranging from food (high-quality caviar) to property in the UAE, fully-loaded as well as exotic cars, among others,” Molenaar said.
The cars include a silently majestic Rolls Royce, which costs over SR1 million, the strong and fully-loaded S 63 AMG Matic from Mercedes Benz priced at SR880,000 and an Alfa Romeo with a price tag of SR109,000.
The Alfa Romeo, which costs SR109,000, is being distributed by Gulf Motor Company. It is participating in the show for the first time.
A service company, BB Luxury, also displays products it has customized. An example is iPhone 5 S with 24 carat gold Swarovski edition being sold for SR9,500.
Abdulaziz Al Jowaie, Golden Caviar CEO, expressed happiness over his company's participation in the show. “It gives us a much needed shot in the arm since our clients include five-star hotels,” he said.
Saudi Research & Marketing Group (SRMG) to which Arab News belongs is a participant in the event.
Molenaar added that the exhibition is a good platform for European and American companies intending to establish a foothold in the Kingdom in particular and in the Middle East in general.
He said: “These firms should take this opportunity to cash in from the wide publicity generated through the media as well as word of mouth.”
“Time is valuable, to use an understatement, and a missed opportunity cannot be recovered. These companies should move now to establish a foothold in the region, which is a strong market. A visit to this exhibition would be a move in the right direction,” he said.
However, he added, they could “join us in Jeddah when we hold this event in three weeks' time.”
Molenaar, a Dutch national based in the UAE, noted that the World Luxury Group Exhibition has made great strides since its formation a few years back. It mounted its first exhibition in 2012 and has since mounted four other shows that have made its presence felt in the Arab world.
Asked about their success, Molenaar said that he and his team work very hard.
“We're on the road eight months of the year to bring the latest and popular luxury items to our valued clientele, who are VIPs,” said Molemaar, who's also a clothes designer, showing that the suit he wore had been designed by him.
Explaining how the company started, he said that the idea originated from Millar's Fair in Holland.
“It held exhibitions in Holland, Russia, and in Dubai but our concept is more beautiful. That's why companies like our exhibitors follow us wherever we go,” he said.
Adel Al-Mahboob, GM of Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, said: “We look forward to again hosting this event, which we believe is becoming an annual signature event for Riyadh. The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh enjoys a preeminent address in the capital.”