The Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE), a subsidiary of DMCC, announced the completion of three rough and polished diamond tenders held between July 16 and 23, 2019.

“Over 200 companies convened in Almas Tower to analyse and value the stones with the latest industry tools, technology and software,” DMCC said in a statement.

The three tenders, held separately, were hosted by Rapaport, Stargems and Trans Atlantic Gem Sales (TAGS) respectively.  

“The high value of stones sold at the tenders reflects the strength of Dubai’s diamond trade,” DMCC averred.

“It has been a challenging year for the diamond industry overall,” said Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC. “However, the success of these tenders serves to show that there remains healthy demand for rough diamonds if the quality and price on offer are right. As a result, Dubai continues to cement its leading position in the industry and is well on its way to becoming the world’s largest trading hub.”

The DDE premises are currently under renovation, but, the DMCC said, tenders are taking place regularly even during the makeover.

Once the renovation work is completed, DMCC says the DDE will be “one of the biggest tender floors in the world with up to 40 tables, fully secured with cameras and specialist lighting for buyers to examine diamonds and precious stones”.

The refurbished  DDE facility is slated to be  unveiled prior to  DMCC’s Dubai Diamond Conference, which will be held at Almas Tower on September 26, 2019.

Anthony Peter, Owner, Trans Atlantic Gem Sales said: “Since we started our operations in Dubai, we have experienced sustained growth in both tenders, sales, and registrations of new companies. The Dubai Diamond Exchange has assured that professional and safe standards are maintained throughout the process, and this has given us the opportunity to confidently bring together producers, and manufacturers from around the world to benefit from a regular and consistent supply, and ensured that Dubai has become an important destination in their monthly buying programme. This week, we welcomed more than 75 companies and generated sales of around US$ 20 million. We remain very optimistic about the long-term future of the industry and are confident that more growth lies ahead, and this will be greatly assisted by the upgraded state-of-the-art facility that will be unveiled soon."

Shailesh Javeri, Chairman, Stargems Group added: “We have hosted several tenders at the Dubai Diamond Exchange in the past, all of which have been successful. This one was no exception and we were thrilled to welcome more than 300 buyers from 135 companies who bought diamonds worth US$ 33 million. In addition, the infrastructure and facilities available alongside the safe and regulated process are unmatched, and this is why we continue to select DDE as the setting for our sales. We look forward to continued collaboration with DMCC in our growth journey.”

Diamond trading has grown consistently in Dubai since 1997, when there was virtually no diamond trading taking place.  By 2003, trade in rough and polished stones had increased to AED 13.2 billion (US$ 3.6 billion) and by 2018 it had risen to AED 91.75 billion (US$ 25 billion), DMCC noted.

Michelle Ickowics, CEO, Rapaport Diamond Corporation, commented: “Aside from Dubai’s strategic location, we have chosen to conduct our tenders at the Dubai Diamond Exchange on account of its safe environment, strict regulation and team of industry experts. Given the success of our tenders here, there is little doubt that we will be returning to Dubai for additional tenders in the near future.”

“In 2018, the DDE hosted 27 diamond tenders where AED 1.205 billion (US$ 328 million) worth of diamonds were traded, a significant increase from 13 tenders worth AED 104.7 million (US$ 28.5 million) in 2017,” DMCC stated. “The DDE is the only World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) accredited exchange in the Middle East. It provides its members and industry participants with the appropriate infrastructure, products, services and regulation they require to grow, succeed and trade with confidence.”