Mariam Nihal Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – Mazin Muhamed Batarji, deputy chairman of the Board of Directors of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), has inaugurated Wedding Arabia 2012, Saudi Arabia's premier international event for bridal wear, beauty, jewelry, accessories, furnishings and hospitality, on Tuesday night at Hilton Hotel Jeddah. Showcasing a diverse range of products and services for to-be married couples, Wedding Arabia 2012 gathers leading international and regional designers with special bridal couture shows that run daily from 5-10pm. The event focuses on an industry that is witnessing a continuous demand and recording an increase in expenditure both on products and services. Zahoor Siddique, Vice President at Al Harithy Company for Exhibitions (ACE), said “this year's exhibition will bring a wide range of products and services ranging from the latest jewelry designs to fashion, beauty, photography, wedding designers, bridal accessories, flowers, invitation cards, kitchen appliances, furniture and a lot more.” More than 170 exhibitors are displaying a wide range of perfumes, ouds, cosmetics, jewelry, gifts and accessories, health and beauty products, cards and stationery, and related materials and services. As the demand of weddings is on the rise, Siddique noted that Saudi Arabia celebrates more than one million weddings every year and the dynamic wedding industry is estimated at an exceptional $2.5 billion. He added that the market for skincare is worth $2 billion and the Kingdom's female citizens spend more on cosmetics and hair per capita than any other women in the world. The highlight of the show will be a national Turkish pavilion comprising of 33 companies supported by the Undersecretariat for Foreign Trade of Turkey. Participating alongside are companies from China, Malaysia, Jordan, Lebanon and UAE and a large number of Saudi companies dealing in a range of products catering to this booming industry.
