June 15, 2019

Sixth Annual Arab Luxury World Draws To A Successful Close

The sixth edition of Arab Luxury World, the Middle East’s leading luxury business conference, has drawn to a successful conclusion at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, where regional and international professionals from the world of luxury gathered to explore the topic of ‘Digital Transformation Focusing on Data and Premium Retail‘. The two-day conference featured a number of interactive panel sessions and creative workshops, including a keynote address by Valerie Messika, Founder and Creative Director of Messika.

Alexandre Hawari, Co-CEO of Mediaquest, commented: “This was beyond doubt one of the most informative and enlightening conferences on the business of luxury in the Middle East. Arab Luxury World 2019 raised the bar in terms of relevant dialogue by casting the spotlight on a number of buzz words from digital transformation, blockchain, omnichannel and big data, to key areas such as the talent gap, inclusion, diversity, ‘glocalization’ and Chinese consumers. The keynote sessions on bringing Neuroscience and Business together by Prof. Moran Cerf; the economic and regional outlook for the retail industry by Cyrille Fabre, Bain & Co; and the Valerie Messika interview conducted by Diala Makki, Dubai TV were the highlights of the event. It was wonderful to see the excellent turnout and the active engagement between the delegates and the speakers.”

Each year, Arab Luxury World aims to enrich the conference agenda and offer attendees ever more valuable insights into the luxury sector. Panel sessions offered up distilled wisdom as well as unique, fresh insights that can be practically applied in the business world. This year’s series of workshops shed light on the major disruptions and innovations that are expected to shape the future of the luxury industry. The

creative and interactive workshops were delivered by industry leaders including Régis Dupertuis, CEO of Le Monde des 5 Fleurs and Retail Excellence Strategist at The Luxury Hive, Jonathan Siboni, Founder & CEO of Luxurynsight, and Maissa Zard, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Luxurynsight and Jenny Wilson, Programme Director and Fashion Retail Consultant/Ph.D. Researcher at Heriot Watt University/Jenny N Wilson Consultancy Ltd.

The ‘Digital Transformation Focusing on Data and Premium Retail’ theme was of great value to attendees, with expansive discussions about what changes the business of luxury is going through and how brands should respond in order to stand strong amid the seismic adjustments. A key highlight of the conference was the “new normal”, as explained by Cyrille Fabre, Head of Consumer Products and Retail Middle East at Bain & Co., and how this links to the GCC in particular. “What we are seeing over the last few years is the return to the ‘new normal’. The personal luxury goods market witnessed a growth rate of 6 percent per annum last year, which is aligned with the long-term trend, in terms of constant currency,” Cyrille Fabre said.

This year, Arab Luxury World was attended by more than 500 industry leaders, luxury brands, distributors, agents, retailers, mall operators, service providers, media representatives and content creators, among many others – all of whom lent greater depth to the sessions. Set against a backdrop of new technologies and generational change in consumer behaviour reshaping the world of luxury, each activity served to equip attendees with the insights they need to face challenges head on and secure ongoing business and success in the sector.

The annual event has grown into a global networking platform that is generously supported by key movers in the industry, including Laha, Jamalouki and OMD as the Gold Sponsors; Linkedin, Marriott International Luxury Brand and MMP World Wide as the Silver Sponsors; INFINITI Middle East, Luxurynsight, MEmob, Teads and The Luxury Hive as the Bronze Sponsors; Z7 Communications as the Luxury PR Partner; Careem as the Official Transportation Partner; The Marketing Boutique as the Marketing Partner; Lightblue as the Content Partner; Fleurology as the Floral Partner and Arabnews, Haya, Savoir Flair and The New York Times as the Media Partners.