The Abdullah family boasts a heritage and renown spanning over a century, covering four generations dedicated to producing both traditional and contemporary jewellery in the GCC area. Established in 1907 by the Abdullah family, the jewellery enterprise saw its beginnings, with the late Mohammad Taher Abdullah Almohtadi inaugurating the first goldsmith shop in Gold Souq, Dubai, in 1955. By the mid-70s, the reins of the business had been passed to his sons, Tawfique, Tawhid, and Tamjid Abdullah.
Today, under the brand Jawhara Jewellery, the family enterprise operates as a fully integrated entity, functioning as a wholesaler, importer, and manufacturer of jewellery. It is the Middle East’s fastest-growing jewellery brand, with designs sourced responsibly from premier alliances based in Italy, Turkey, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, India, Bahrain, and Lebanon. Jawhara specialises in contemporary jewellery appealing to the youth of today.
In an exclusive interview with Solitaire International, Tamjid Abdullah, Group Deputy CEO, Jawhara Jewellery, UAE, reveals strategic plans for this year and discusses the market demand and design trends in the GCC region.
What are the current jewellery market trends? Which product category is performing better overall in the GCC?
As an Emirati company, we’re known for our traditional 21-karat gold jewellery. We brought old traditional pieces to modern-style jewellery, offering classic traditional collections in gold, some studded with natural diamonds and gemstones.
In addition, we’re also catching up with the latest worldwide jewellery trends.
How many stores does Jawhara currently have and what are the growth plans for the year 2024 in terms of new stores and new markets?
Jawhara currently operates nearly 300 stores across the GCC and internationally (Jawhara has 23 stores catering only to the Asian segment). Our upcoming plan for the next year includes expanding further in the UAE and the region, as well as implementing cost-management measures in our existing stores.
What is the demand for varied jewellery products, such as plain gold jewellery, diamond jewellery, gemstone jewellery, platinum jewellery, silver etc.?
The trend in gold jewellery among the youth in the GCC is shifting towards classic traditional pieces with modern enhancements, particularly in terms of appearance and weight, including natural diamonds and gemstones. There is a notable surge in demand for jewellery adorned with natural diamonds with colour-infused design.
Additionally, platinum jewellery, whether classic or embellished with natural diamonds, is experiencing significant popularity. We have seen a great comeback for the platinum jewellery in general.
What are the segments that Jawhara Jewellery is catering to?
We at Jawhara Jewellery are lucky to be based in the United Arab Emirates, our birthplace, and a country known for its rich cultural diversity, with over 200 different nationalities. As a core philosophy of our family, we are committed to meeting the needs of this diverse population, catering to their varied tastes, budgets, and age groups. That’s the reason our clients often refer to us as the one-stop shop destination for all their jewellery needs.
What are the preferences and behaviours of jewellery buyers in terms of spending habits, occasions for purchases, and preferred price points?
It’s a good thing to operate in a place where gold jewellery and natural diamond-studded pieces are the preferred choice for gifting among friends and loved ones on all occasions.
How do you see overall sales vis a vis previous year?
We have witnessed good growth in our performance from 2022 to 2023, with Jawhara achieving double-digit growth.
What is the marketing/ promotion boosting growth in sales?
Our offers and seasonal campaigns ensure continuous engagement with our clients. We set our objectives and marketing strategies based on our brand’s sales record, aligning them with our clients’ desires and expectations.
We rely on classical marketing funnels and our active digital platforms, particularly our social media channels, and bloggers’ collaborations to drive more store traffic, spread awareness and actively engage with our customers. We showcase Jawhara’s latest lines, highlight various promotions, and offer collections that raise awareness and expose our jewellery collections.
As one of the leading retailers what are the challenges that you foresee in the coming year and what are your plans to combat?
Challenges exist in every business, yet we believe our primary challenge lies within ourselves: consistently combating all the time, creating innovative designs and jewellery lines, constantly striving to compete against our own previous records.