Saleh Fareed Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – Jeddah is all set to play host to the second edition of Saudi Arabia's biggest wedding exhibition “Wedding Arabia 2012.” The grand event, showcasing contemporary jewels, accessories, and exquisite wedding gowns for prospective brides and grooms, will take place at Hilton Hall, Jeddah Hilton Hotel from Dec. 18 - 20 from 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM. Commenting on the nature of the exhibition, Vice President of Al Harithy Company for Exhibitions Zahoor Siddique, said: “Wedding Arabia 2012 promises lucrative opportunities in Saudi Arabia's most high profile wedding market for high-end wedding designers, planners and professionals.” The three-day exhibition will be a grand affair, bringing together importers of fashion accessories, apparels, wedding designers, contractors, planners, market observers, business analysts, retailers, makeup artists, florists, caterers, photographers, video producers, stylists, among others, under one roof. A fairy tale wedding is every couples dream, and the demand for ostentatious weddings have been on the rise lately. Siddiqui said that weddings are some of the most jubilant occasions in the Middle East, and the wedding industry is estimated to be around US$ 2.5 billion, with an outstanding growth of 25 percent annual growth. The event is expected to reap great rewards for exhibitors in terms of sales and marketing. Saudi Arabia celebrates more than one million weddings every year, out of which one-third are held in the western region. “Around 60 percent of the 27 million Saudi population is under the age of 20 and this generation is waiting to materialize their dreams of a perfect wedding over the next few years,” Siddique said. A national pavilion from Turkey supported by the Turkish Ministry of Economy leads the international participation with individual companies from China, Kuwait, Malaysia, Romania, Jordan, Lebanon and UAE will also display an array of wedding products and services. Visitors can look forward to Beauty Arabia and a number of other exciting attractions, live demonstrations, and interesting workshops by renowned beauty experts. A large number of skincare companies are also participating this year in the exhibition.”The market for skincare is worth $2 billion and the Kingdom's female citizens spend more on cosmetics and hair per capita than any other women in the world,” said Siddique. He added: “After the success in 2011, Wedding Arabia 2012 promises to be bigger than ever with an estimated 10,000 visitors expected to attend the exhibition.”
