• The move comes in line with precautionary measures being taken to contain the spread of coronavirus 

Sharjah, March 15, 2020: The Expo Centre Sharjah has announced it is merging together the 48th and 49th editions of the Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show. This year’s only edition will now take place end of September 2020.

The move has been taken as part of precautionary measures being taken by all entities and institutions in the country in light of the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19). 

“The 48th edition was scheduled to take place from 25 to 29 March but to protect the safety of all employees and visitors, we decided to combine this edition with the next one and now the event will be organized end of September 2020, the Centre said.

Preventive and precautionary measures
The board of directors of Expo Centre Sharjah stressed that it is closely monitoring global developments concerning covid-19 and is coordinating with all strategic partners to decide whether to hold the upcoming events or not. The safety of all participating delegations and visitors are a top priority, the board added, lauding all precautionary measures taken by the UAE, to curb the consequences of the virus.

The board of directors affirmed its keenness to join all entities in maintaining the country’s health security and preventing the risks of epidemics, which is a national priority.

“The decision to merge the two editions in one is a precautionary and strategic measure. We will spare no effort to work with all concerned authorities in the UAE to reduce the spread of the coronavirus” it underlined. 

The board also lauded the efforts being made by the organizing team, saying that the new move would give the team more time to innovate development ideas, which would result in a totally renewed and more brilliant edition than previous ones.

“In every new edition, we strive to enhance the exhibition's position as one of the largest and most important events specialized in the design, manufacture and trade of jewelry, gold, watches, diamonds, gemstones and pearls in the region” the board further said.

Flexible Events
The board underlined that it made the decision after taking into account the difficulty of traveling to a wide segment of influential participants due to the current circumstances and inability to travel between countries.  Many institutions and entities in the country have also taken similar decisions to postpone already scheduled exhibitions and festivals.

“Our events are flexible and our teams are well-trained to deal with any postponement or rescheduling of events, owning to their 50-year experience. They are able to adapt to major global developments on the commercial, financial and health levels”, it emphasized.

Hosted and organized by the Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show has grown to become the largest and longest running event of its kind. Over the past 27 years, it managed to establish itself as a top destination and reliable platform to launch the latest creative works in the world of watch and luxury jewelry design from all over the world.