day fifth international exhibition of gold and jewelry opened at the Hilton here on Tuesday with the participation of more than 60 Saudi and international companies. The exhibition, inaugurated by Mohammed Abdulqader Al-Fadel, Chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is being organized by Relations Company for International Exhibitions and Conferences, Carat Jewelry Limited, Taiyba Company for Jewelry, and the World Gold Council. The exhibition showcases the latest designs of gold ornaments, jewelry, and rare watches. “The exhibition for the first time displays rare jewelry and precious watches. Several international companies have come up with the latest trends in the gold industry and designed watches studded with diamonds, pearls, and precious stones,” said Usama Al-Kurdi, Chairman of the Board of Relations Company. The volume of the national gold and jewelry investments sector in the Kingdom is more than SR25 billion, he added. The Kingdom had ranked fourth in the world in using gold and jewelry, but due to the global financial crisis, it is now ranked seventh, said Karim Al-Unizi, president of the national committee for precious metals and precious stones of the JCCI. The Western Region, he said, continues to be the top in gold consumption. This actually is because of the large number of visitors who come to the Kingdom annually for Haj and Umrah, he said. According to Al-Kurdi, the number of participants in this year's exhibition has increased by 40 percent. The exhibition includes the first of its kind picture of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. “We are presenting a huge picture of the King which has rare stones, such as, a ruby that weighs 8,000 carats,” added Al
