The jewellery retail opportunities are growing in Qatar – Ashraf Mustafa, Alfardan Jewellery

At the Doha Jewellery & Watch Exhibition 2018, in an exclusive interview with The Retail Jeweller Gulf, Ashraf Mustafa, director of sales and branches, Alfardan Jewellery, talks about the show, the core values of Alfardan Jewellery and the jewellery market in Qatar.

The Retail Jeweller (TRJ): How has been the response at the Doha Jewellery & Watch Exhibition this year?

Ashraf Mustafa (AS): This is the best exhibition in this region. The traffic to our booth this year has been fantastic. We are showcasing big jewellery and watch brands here like Chopard, Dior, to name a few. Such kind of scenario offers great boost to the show. And, most importantly and above everything else, I would like to mention the strongest support from His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to make this exhibition a success. The Emir visited the exhibition yesterday.  He was extremely impressed with the collection showcased at the show. The show has emerged the best in the Middle East.

TRJ: What designs are you showcasing this year?

AS: This year, we are showcasing jewellery made in Qatar because we have set up manufacturing centre in Qatar. Everyone is impressed with the designs. We are doing our best to promote design excellence in this region.

We are also showcasing traditional Arabic jewellery. Previous people used to wear big gold jewellery pieces weighing 500 gm, 1kg. However, Mr. Hussein I AlFardan, chairman, Alfardan Group, has changed the design narrative here by introducing smaller size jewellery ideal for everyday wear. The initiative to come up with lesser weight jewellery which we started four years back has proved successful. We have developed great collections in lightweight segment by sourcing and manufacturing jewellery from countries like Italy and Belgium.

TRJ: How do you view the growth opportunities here in Qatar at the moment?  

AS: The Middle East jewellery market has huge growth opportunity. Especially, given the current scenario, the opportunities have grown bigger.  Previously, people used to travel to Dubai, Bahrain or Saudi Arabia to purchase jewellery. Now, people purchase only from Qatar and that gives more business to the local more markets.

TRJ: How do you compare the jewellery market in Dubai and the market in Qatar?

AS: Dubai is a more competitive market with more high-end jewellery brands. But, here in Qatar, we are the leading jeweller with a huge bouquet of international brands. And, as a diversified business group, we have business interest beyond jewellery.

TRJ: What makes Alfardan Jewellery such a phenomenon?

AS: That’s because, we put our best efforts in jewellery. Mr. Alfardan is a visionary man. He always innovates new design ideas for jewellery and watches. Big global jewellery and watch brands show him designs for his inputs before launching those in Qatar and other jewellery markets in the Middle East.

We assign paramount importance to quality and the brand equity. Our pricing is extremely reasonable. We don’t offer huge discounts. That’s why Alfardan has become a name to reckon with.

TRJ: What’s the future plan as far as retail expansion is concerned?

AS: We have seven retail stores in Qatar at the moment. We have plans to open two more stores in Vendome mall in Qatar. We already have stores in the Mall of Qatar, the richest mall in Doha. We also have the biggest store in the Middle East in Pearl Island. In fact, let me tell you, the idea of Pearl Island belongs to Mr. Alfardan.

Courtesy: The Retail Jeweller India News Service