Italian Jewellery Exports To The UAE Hit €1.3 Billion As 34 Premier Italian Houses Prepare For Sharjah Showcase

The Italian Trade Agency returns to the 57th Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show with a national pavilion celebrating Italy's renowned goldsmithing heritage and design excellence.

SHARJAH, UAE, May 2026 — The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) is proud to announce its participation at the 57th edition of the Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show, to be held at Expo Centre Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, from 10 to 14 June 2026. ITA will lead an official national pavilion comprising 34 Italian jewellery companies, the most significant expressions of Italy's oreficeria and gioielleria excellence.

The Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show is one of the longest-running and authoritative jewellery and timepiece trade exhibitions in the region. Held annually at Expo Centre Sharjah, the show provides a leading platform for manufacturers, wholesalers, importers, retailers and industry professionals from across the world. For Italian exhibitors, it represents direct access to a buyer community whose appetite for alta gioielleria, precision diamond-set articles, 18-carat and 22-carat gold oreficeria, and artisan silverware is among the most sophisticated globally.

“Italy and the UAE share a deep appreciation for beauty and elegance. These values find a natural expression in Italian jewellery, where exceptional craftsmanship meets creativity, cultural heritage, and an unwavering attention to detail. I am confident that this edition of the Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show will provide a valuable opportunity to further strengthen the longstanding commercial and cultural ties between our two countries.”, said Lorenzo Fanara, Ambassador of Italy to the United Arab Emirates.

The delegation arrives against a backdrop of robust structural demand. Italian jewellery exports to the United Arab Emirates totalled €1.3 billion in the January–December 2025 period — a year-on-year increase of 12.6%, representing an additional €153 million compared to the prior year, driven in significant part by the sustained appreciation of gold spot prices on international commodity markets.

In the first two months of 2026, Italy exported €194 million in jewellery to the UAE — a reflection of the broader contraction in global gold values during this period, which has reduced declared customs valuations across all supplying nations. Crucially, however, Italy's market share grew to 8% of total UAE jewellery imports over January–February 2026, up from 5.48% recorded in January 2025. This growth in relative positioning — against a more competitive and value-compressed market backdrop — underscores the enduring commercial preference for Made-in-Italy jewellery among UAE buyers and confirms Italy's standing as one of the UAE's most strategically important jewellery supply partners

"Italy's 8% market share in the first two months of 2026 is a powerful confirmation of the resilience and global prestige of Italian jewellery manufacturing. At a time when gold price corrections have put downward pressure on declared export values across the board, Italian jewellery is holding and growing its position on the strength of the product itself. UAE buyers are choosing Italian jewellery because they offer a combination of craftsmanship, genuine origin, and design mastery. ITA is bringing a brilliant selection of 34 houses to Sharjah to offer one more opportunity to dive into the best of Made in Italy jewellery." commented Valerio Soldani, Trade Commissioner of Italy to the UAE

The Italian pavilion brings together manufacturers from Italy's principal goldsmithing district including Valenza, Florence and Naples — representing the full spectrum of Made-in-Italy jewellery production. Italy's participation forms part of ITA's strategy to strengthen Italy's commercial presence across the GCC. The Sharjah exhibition provides a direct platform for Italian manufacturers to meet qualified buyers, develop new distribution partnerships and consolidate the long-term commercial relationships that underpin Italy's position as the UAE's leading jewellery supplier.

Exhibiting Companies at Watch & Jewellery Middle East 2026