A salesman arranges rings at the International Nebu Expo for Gold & Jewelry 2022 in Cairo, Egypt, Dec. 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
CAIRO, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- An expo exhibiting a large variety of gold and jewelry products and machinery from across the globe concluded in the Egyptian capital on Monday.
Dubbed "International Nebu Expo for Gold & Jewelry 2022," the three-day expo was held at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in New Cairo, featuring jewelry, coins, and ornaments made from gold or other precious metals and gemstones.
Apart from the end products, jewelry-making machines made in Egypt, Italy, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and India were also exhibited.
A man looks at jewelry at the International Nebu Expo for Gold & Jewelry 2022 in Cairo, Egypt, Dec. 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
"We came here to see how the market is, hoping to attract some customers to come next month to another exhibition we will have in Vicenza, our city," said Paolo Giovannini, an Italian exhibitor who runs a business in jewelry-making tools and machines.
"We have more than 50 Egyptian companies exhibiting their quality products, in addition to 35 companies from other countries," said Hany Milad Gaied, head of the Jewelry and Gold Division of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, the event's organizer.
"We will work on expanding it to be a distinguished international expo as we're aspiring to become a regional hub in jewelry trade and industry," Gaied told Xinhua.
"I am bedazzled by the details and beauty of the exhibited Egyptian items. We've really reached a global standard," said Salma Halawa, an Egyptian jewelry designer at the expo.
Photo shows jewelry at the International Nebu Expo for Gold & Jewelry 2022 in Cairo, Egypt, Dec. 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
A pavilion of New Egypt Gold, a locally renowned jewelry producer, was decorated in pharaonic elements including ancient Egyptian columns and statues, and showcased a large variety of gold and jewelry sets that drew inspiration from Egypt's rich history of making gold jewelry.
"We as Egyptians thought of excelling in making jewelry in pharaonic styles that represents the heritage of our ancestors," said Tarek Al-Tarouty, CEO of the company founded in 1935, adding the uniqueness of such craftsmanship can be seen in artifacts like the golden mask of ancient King Tutankhamun.
Ali Saleh Al-Kindi, an exhibitor from Saudi Arabia, said over the past 40 years, the Gulf and Arab regions have greatly developed and become global competitors in the jewelry industry.
Describing the expo as a "very important" platform for cooperation and exchange among Arab jewelry makers, the Jeddah-based jewelry business owner expressed hope for the expo to become more influential in the future.
"Through the participation of Arab countries in the expo, we hope it will boost the exchange of ideas, studies and products related to the jewelry industry in the Arab world," the Saudi businessman said. ■
