Second Katara International Amber Exhibition begins

Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim AlSulaiti, General Manager of Katara Cultural Village, opened the second edition of the Katara International Amber Exhibition at Katara Cultural Village today in the presence of a large number of dignitaries including ambassadors and representatives of several diplomatic missions in the country and representatives and delegates from the amber industry.There are more than 90 stalls at the exhibition in which exhibitors from 13 Arab and other foreign countries are participating. The exhibition, which is being held at Building 12, from 9 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 10 pm, will continue until Saturday, January 11. The participating countries include Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait, Sweden, Lebanon, the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, as well as representatives of associations and international bodies specializing in amber.This is the first exhibition dedicated to amber in Qatar, and the second largest international exhibition on amber ore after the international exhibition held in Poland.Inaugurating the exhibition, Dr Khaled bin Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti said that the exhibition witnessed a remarkable growth in its second year, both in terms of the number of participants from Qatar and outside and in the number of the visitors. “This shows that the Katara International Amber Exhibition has succeeded in becoming an important international platform that brings together the most prominent traders, experts and enthusiasts in the field of amber,” he said.He added that Katara was keen, through this exhibition, to merge the marketing, economic and cultural aspects of amber trade and is offering the rarest types of amber catering to the different tastes of the audience. There are also several activities being held as part of the exhibition.Al Sulaiti pointed out that the second edition provides an exceptional and distinctive shopping experience, as it constitutes an important forum that brings together merchants and experts in one place. “We are working through this exhibition to enhance Qatar's position as an international destination for the trade and acquisition of amber, especially as the exhibition has become a preferred destination for global companies. The opening of a permanent headquarters for amber through the Katara Center for Amber, in addition to signing a set of agreements to hold training and educational workshops under the supervision of international experts, will further add to this position.”Khalid Abdul Raheem Al Sayed, General Supervisor of the Katara International Exhibition for Amber, said that the second edition is characterized by the huge participation from 13 Arab and foreign countries, while the number of participants in the first edition did not exceed five. “The increase in the number of companies and exhibitors, especially those known for the quality of amber they specialize in, such as from Germany, Poland and Russia guarantee the continuity and uniqueness of the exhibition in the Middle East,” he said.He said the Katara Center for Amberincludes a permanent showroom on amber and an amber laboratory, and this Center will become a meeting place for amateurs and experts and traders from inside and outside Qatar, and thus Katara will become a major station for amber in the Middle East.Among the distinguished participants in the second edition is Sheikh Talal bin Khalifa bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, whose pavilion includes rare materials in amber from various sources, like Germany, Poland and India, in addition to ancient and rare beads that do not exist today. Sheikh Talal bin Khalifa said the pavilion shows his collections over the years. He praised the Katara International Amber Exhibition as it gave amber amateurs an opportunity to view the exhibits of amber lamps and materials from various sources. Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Thani, another participant, said that he was impressed by the success of the second edition. There are companies that had to register and wait to obtain a space in the exhibition, which is one of the most successful exhibitions, he said.He pointed out that his pavilion in the exhibition includes rare stones from the Baltic Sea, Ukraine etc, explaining that amber stones are designed at specialized workshops in Doha and converted into pebbles and for other uses such as handles of sticks, and previously included women’s jewellery, but in the Gulf in general the interest is focused on amber lamps.