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Damas begins 'Made in UAE' journey: CEO

Damas has started its journey from being a home grown brand to its new identity of 'Made in UAE' with the opening of its new facility in Nad Al Hamar, said Anan Fakhreddin, CEO of Damas, on Wednesday.
"The new plant based in Nad Al Hamar highlights Damas' commitment to the 'Made in UAE' initiative, employing its longstanding expertise in the retail sector to enhance industrial capabilities for gold jewellery, and promoting Dubai as a global hub for jewellery production," said Fakhreddin.
The Damas factory - employing over 200 specialised craftsmen and experts - has invested Dh215 million in raw materials and investments with a capacity to manufacture over 280kg of gold into unique pieces of jewellery, on a monthly basis. Currently, Damas designs and produces over 40 per cent of its jewellery through this facility, and aims to increase the production capacity to 80 per cent by the end of 2017, to meet market demand and long-term growth plans.
Sami Al Qamzi, director general of the Dubai Department of Economic Development and Anan Fakhreddin, CEO of Damas, opened the Damas state-of-the-art production facility in Dubai. "The factory opening represents a quantum leap in line with the company's growth and market expansion strategy," he said.
The facility combines world-class expertise and traditional hand craftsmanship to produce unmatched jewellery using high technology production lines to ensure the highest levels of quality controls, purity and artistry on a local scale.
Al Qamzi said: "The art of goldsmithery and jewellery making are intrinsically embedded within the roots of UAE's history and culture, as was confirmed by the recent discovery of the ancient archaeological site 'Saroug Al Hadeed' dating back to 500-2600 BC, on an expedition led by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The emirate has become a prominent icon in the gold industry with annual revenues exceeding 40 per cent of the total worldwide sales. We support the step Damas has taken in promoting UAE's industrial footprint in this vital sector, which not only contributes to the retail and tourism industry, but also highlights the reputation of Dubai as the City of Gold."
Fakhreddin added: "It is with great pleasure and honour that we open our principle factory which has been built on our brand values: craftsmanship, innovation, trust and Dubai. Dubai has always been and will always remain at the heart of Damas' philosophy for innovation and culture. It is not only the city which gave us the strength to develop and grow our operations, but more importantly, it fosters a culture of innovation, where businesses can pursue and achieve their goals and ambition.
 
Creativity
The Damas factory is UAE's leading industrial facility for the production of gold jewellery with outstanding quality control, cutting edge technologies, decades of design and craftsmanship heritage and unparalleled manufacturing supply chain management, all under one roof. The facility employs 3D printing techniques in the design and manufacturing process, supported by laser capabilities to provide a sharp, detailed and consistent product.
Damas continues its expansion plans across the region with about 140 outlets in UAE and total 240 in GCC states. Most recently, it entered into a strategic partnership with the De Beers Group of companies to launch the Damas Classics collection that only use rare and unique Forevermark diamonds. The company also strengthened its presence in the GCC region through new store openings in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
The leading luxury jewellery and watch retailer in the GCC has grown from a UAE-based retailer into a global brand name, with a large portfolio of renowned global luxury brands including Graff Diamonds, Garrard, Roberto Coin, Mikimoto, Forevermark, Magerit, Parmigiani Fluerier, Louis Moinet and Perrelet, among many others. Damas' popular in-house brands include Damas Classics, Farfasha, Vera, OneSixEight, Farasha, Al Manthoura, Gehna, Legacy, Fulla, and many more.
- sandhya@khaleejtimes.com