Dubai Watch Week's decade of dominance

The fair will include a 75th anniversary gala for Ahmed Seddiqi, the retailer that's a driving force behind its creation

- Ming Liu

Hassan Akhras recently described how he told some watch collectors in 2015 that he was going to the first Dubai Watch Week. They had no idea what he was talking about. "Ten years ago Dubai Watch Week was literally an unknown, new beast coming up," said Mr. Akhras, founder of the online Arab Watch Guide. "It's funny to see how it has evolved from being the small underdog to becoming one of the biggest fairs in the world.

On Nov. 19, the biennial fair, often called DWW, opened its seventh edition-but celebrating its 10th year as a free public event. It has a new location in Burj Park, a green space in the centre of Dubai, and more than 90 brands are scheduled to show their products.

Adding some extra sparkle will be the 75th anniversary celebrations of Ahmed Seddiqi, the family-owned watch and jewellery business that has been a driving force behind the event since its start. Hind Seddiqi, a granddaughter of the business's founder and now the watch fair's chief executive, told