Tourism & Hospitality | Tuesday 31 March, 2015 2:15 pm |

The third American Express World Luxury Expo took place at the palatial Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh. The three-day event was officially inaugurated HH Prince Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Abdullah Al Faisal to an audience of VIP guests and other dignitaries.

HRH Princess Nouf Bint Faisal Bin Turki Al Saud, as Chairperson of Nayyara Exhibitions, again hosted the American Express World Luxury Expo. This was the eighth edition of the World Luxury Expo international series of events.

Nizar Abou Hassan, Director of Premium Products Management, American Express Saudi Arabia Limited, said “Our promise to deliver service excellence and world class experiences were showcased in our continued commitment to the World Luxury Expo. The dedicated Cardmember’s access lane along with the American Express Salon Prive’ offered new and exclusive experiences which were aligned with our premium products proposition designed to cater to the affluent lifestyle of our valued Cardmembers. We look forward to welcoming the local and international luxury brand partners again next year who will be exhibiting an even more spectacular selection of their prestigious and exclusive products.”

A selection of highlights from the three-day event included Dar al Oud, a prestigious premium fragrance brand made from 100 per cent Oud oil, launching its latest range of exclusive luxury products, enriched with Swarovski crystals. This limited edition range offers its users a taste of a new luxurious and unmatched experience.

Royal Selangor, craftsmen of the finest pewter pieces, honoured the generosity of Middle Eastern hospitality with the launch of ‘Atiya’ – an opulent tableware collection inspired by Islamic patterns carved on the wooden pulpits of 15th century Egyptian mosques. ‘Atiya’, features the arabesque in which complex interlacing pewter plant motifs portray the infinite beauty of divine perfection. The eight pointed star, symbolising the four corners of the compass (north, south, east and west) and time (two solstices and two equinoxes) is also expressed in meticulous detail.

British jewellers, D'Joya - the Art of Jewellery – took the occasion of the World Luxury Expo to launch the ‘Rosette Collection’. This collection was inspired by the romance of architecture, and engraved into a priceless jewel. The collection was launched as five-pieces, to be built on with time. Sparking a wonderful love affair between architecture and a solitaire, that is expressed in the most exquisite manor.

Steven Hill, General Manager at Al Ghassan Motors, comments “Bentley is the pinnacle of automotive luxury and we selected World Luxury Expo to reinforce our status as the ultimate luxury performance sedan benchmark by becoming the “Official Automotive Sponsor” of what has become an annual signature event for Riyadh. With its unrivalled blend of effortless drivability, a Bentley showcases exquisite luxury and craftsmanship, sculpted design and state-of-the-art technology and we enjoyed sharing this experience to invited guests. Al Ghassan Motors is also the officially appointed distributor for Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, McLaren and Lotus in Saudi Arabia.”

VIP visitors to the event also experienced the Aston Martin debut in the Kingdom of the historic Lagonda Taraf, a limited edition series of their new legendary super-luxury sports marque. “This is simply the best Lagonda ever made and introduces a new benchmark of quality, luxury and performance. Put simply, there is nothing like it out there to compare it with; it’s a one off design and will surely appeal to enthusiasts and collectors everywhere,” said Mark Pocock, General Manager for Aston Martin at Haji Husein Alireza, Saudi Arabia’s sole Aston Martin and Lagonda concessionaire.

Other collectors pieces seen at the event included a historic 1956 Mercedes 300 SL GullWing, a Ferrari Laferrari 2015 (one of only 499 units ever made) and a Maybach SW38 1936 (one of only three models in the world). These special automotive vintage pieces were displayed by Seven Star Car Lounge.

Exhibitors on display included S.T. Dupont timepieces, a luxury lifestyle portfolio of DAMAC Properties, Ladurée, exclusive Cartier, Boucheron, Maybach, Aigner and Baldinini eyewear by Mugla Optical, home entertainment systems by AVC, Astas Fine Residences, the ‘King of Modern Pâtisserie’ - Pierre Hermé, Nora Garden designers, Japanese cosmetic collection by Karin and boutique resorts on some of the most beautiful islands in the Maldives, Coco Privé.

Other exhibitors showcasing were modern luxury fragrance composer, Bassem Al Qassem, Italian furniture and design by La Contessina, Bowers & Wilkins audio systems by Archimedia, cosmetic surgery and healthcare services by Adama Clinic, Bang & Olufsen, Emirates NBD, De'Longhi designer coffee systems, rare oud by Saad Bashammakh, Kaya Skincare, Fauchon, exclusive sleep solutions by Matt Royal, Golden Caviar, Narcissus Hotel & Residence, Al Nadera Jewellers, Penthouses London, and Top VIP Travel services to name but a few.

World Luxury Expo features carefully selected exhibitors from luxury categories including fine art, high-end jewellery, fashion, hand-crafted time pieces, designer furniture and exquisite table settings, fine dining, luxury executive cars and sports cars, private aviation and luxury travel. All participating exhibitors are recognised within their respective fields, showcasing superior quality and craftsmanship.

Following the repeated success of this event, World Luxury Expo will return to Riyadh in 2016 from 30 March – 1 April at the Ritz-Carlton.

www.world-luxury-expo.com