Laura Bashraheel Saudi Gazette RIYADH — The three-day American Express World Luxury Expo opened in Riyadh Ritz-Carlton on Sunday. The exhibition,held for the first time in Saudi Arabia, is showcasing the world's leading luxury brands to an ultra-affluent audience. The three-day exhibition is featuring many of the world's leading luxury brands and services, from a broad selection of luxury categories such as arts, cars, jewelry and services. Adele Abou Antoun, one of the artists who is showcasing her work in the expo, said that she wanted to open an exhibition in Riyadh but she decided to take part in the World Luxury Expo for which she had been waiting for a year. “I have five artworks here only, and it is part of a bigger collection,” she said. Antoun's art is called needle painting or “Peinture a l'aiguille” which is a unique and distinctive work of art that resembles oil paintings instead it is done with silk strings. Antoun could spend more than a year to compete one picture ranging between portraits and scenes. Displaying with Antoun is Tarek Yamout, Nail and Yarn artist, who presented big portraits all made with nails and yarns. His art goes back to 5,000 years where it developed over time to become what it is today. All the artworks share the same colors, gold, silver and black. Kristy Parry, World Luxury Group Marketing Manager, said that this is the first World Luxury Expo in Riyadh and they are planning to have it next year too. “The expo is a place for our exhibitors to expand their client base and promote themselves to a really niche market audience,” she said. The exhibition has different categories ranging between art, antiques, services, cars, and furniture among others. One of the unique exhibitors is Faisal Al-Saadawy from Sadavi Homes and Partners Limited Company. Al-Saadawy is showcasing antiques and artifacts from all over the world belonging to different centuries and cultures. “We are a company specialized in antiques from all around the world. We also do interior design for special orders like specific period or culture,” said Al-Saadawy. In the main entrance hall, they have on exhibit two Samurai Edo period armors from the 17th century that is gold plated and in very good condition as well as a Chinese emperor's bed, which stayed in the Forbidden City for 65 years. Both the exhibits are for sale. “We also have unique Islamic artifacts from the first Hijri century to the 10th century. Prices range from half a million to two million dollars,” he said. They also exhibited a curtain from inside the Ka'ba in Makkah and silk beaded bed sheets from the Ottoman Empire and a 300-year-old curtain from the Mongolian culture. Jewelry is also popular in the event as Ali Bin Ali, a Qatari company, were among the exhibitors in the Jewelry section. The company owns the Van Cleef & Arples and Cartier brands in Jeddah as well as other luxurious brands in Riyadh.
