The event, which opened on Wednesday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, is being held alongside the Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show at AsiaWorld-Expo. The two shows feature about 4,000 exhibitors from over 40 countries and regions.
Among the exhibitors at the jewellery show was Paritosh Doshi, chief operating officer of United Arab Emirates-based wholesaler Lumex, who predicted that sales for his business at the show would drop by at least 25 per cent.
“I am sure there will be fewer people visiting because Israel is shut too, so none of the Israelis will come in either,” he said. “None of the people from the United Arab Emirates and around it will be here, so I think the show will be slow because of that.”
Doshi explained that he and his wife had to fly to Hong Kong from India, where they are based, to attend the event, as the firm’s original plan to have a team from the UAE run its booth had fallen apart due to flight disruptions caused by the war.
Beyond the show, he added that Lumex’s imports into Dubai and its shipments to clients had also been placed on hold.
