Women look at gold sets at the Doha Jewelry and Watch Fair on February 21, 2023 in Qatar (AFP/KARIM JAAFAR)
At the Doha luxury fair, Noora Al Ansari caused a sensation: this Qatari businesswoman competes against the luxury giants, while going against the tide of trends in this conservative country.
Its stand at the jewelry and watchmaking fair in the Qatari capital is surrounded by big names in the world of jewelry. But it is Mrs. Ansari who arouses the curiosity of visitors.
Since she opened her first Papillon jewelry store, this jewelry designer has been an exception: a Qatari in direct contact with her customers, you don’t see that every day in the wealthy gas emirate.
“When the women saw me in the jewelry store (…), they wondered if I was Qatari or not,” she told AFP during the show.
“They weren’t used to seeing a Qatari in her shop to take care of her business and her customers,” she says.
“And when they find out, they say: + we are so proud of you. You have beautiful pieces +. And that motivates me”, she rejoices.
More and more Qatari women are entering the labor market, but few have made a name for themselves in business.
Jewelers organize their booth at the jewelery and watch fair on February 21, 2023 in Doha, Qatar (AFP/KARIM JAAFAR)
The week-long exhibition, which ends on Saturday, reflects the level of opulence attained by Qatar, whose huge gas reserves have made it one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
Outside the show, there is an incessant ballet of luxury cars. Inside, creations worth several million dollars from major world brands such as Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Bulgari stand side by side.
A Cartier necklace is displayed there at 21 million dollars.
– “An honor” –
Among the world fairs of jewelry, this one “is always full” on the exhibitor side, assures Buthaina Al-Maslamani, representative of Qatar Business Events Corporation.
A Louis Vuitton stand at the Doha jewelry and watch fair on February 21, 2023 in Qatar (AFP / KARIM JAAFAR)
For Ms. Ansari, the exhibition which attracted 30,000 visitors this year is like a “big Qatari wedding”, as it is the annual event for which the Qatari society saves, according to her.
A former executive in education and the oil industry, she designed her first solitaire ring in 2008, before launching her business three years later.
Last year, she opened her store in one of the capital’s swankiest malls, alongside the big names in jewelery she is up against at the Doha show.
“I’m very proud, as a woman, to be a jeweler, because all the names you hear about in Doha, all the jewelers here, are owned by men,” she says.
“When I visited jewelry stores, no one told us what a diamond is. Why is it valuable? Why should we have it and enjoy it? We always hear that a diamond is a girl’s best friend, but we didn’t know why,” she continues.
A stand at the Doha jewelry and watch fair on February 21, 2023 in Qatar (AFP / KARIM JAAFAR)
She adds that her clients appreciate her efforts to explain to them, for example, the rule of the four Cs of diamonds: Color (color), Cut (size), Claity (purity) and carat.
When Ms. Ansari got into the business, there were only one or two Qatari designers. Today, there are at least ten at the Doha show, she says.
“As a local brand, being among the big names in the world is an honour, of course. It means our jewelry represents our local styles and high standards.”
© 2023 AFP
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