ICA Congress to be Held in Dubai

By JCK Online Staff -- JCK Online, 5/19/2006 5:39:00 AM

The 2007 ICA Congress will be held in Dubai, April 28-May 2 and will be sponsored by the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, the International Colored Gemstone Association Board of Directors said Wednesday.

"Dubai is of great interest to ICA members as it has a solid jewelry manufacturing base and because it has great potential in the consumer market for colored gemstones," said ICA President Joseph Menzie. "The business opportunities there are vast and with the government initiatives developing Dubai as a mega trading center, we will hear more and more about conducting business in and from Dubai."

The aim of the Congress will be to bring experts in the region to provide knowledge and expertise for ICA members on conducting business in Dubai, the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia.

ICA Executive Director Barbara Lipatapanlop was in Dubai recently to speak at the fourth Dubai City of Gold Conference and she said that she found a great number of conference delegates interested in gemstones.

"Attendees indicated that they are very interested in having colored gems in their product lines but lack the experience and connections in buying them; and of course, ICA is in a unique position to provide both the knowledge they require as well as a member base of experienced, ethical gem manufacturers and traders," she said.

The host of the Congress, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, was created by the Dubai government to establish a commodity marketplace providing industry-specific infrastructure and a full range of facilities for the precious metals, diamonds, colored stones, energy, and other commodities industries.

DMCC is also a free zone authority offering 100% business ownership, a guaranteed 50-year tax holiday, and freehold property options to market participants. DMCC has a community of over 750 commodities businesses and a large portion of which are active in the precious commodities (namely, gold, jewelry, diamonds, and colored stones) industries. For more information on DMCC, log onto www.dmcc.ae .

In connection with the Congress, the ICA will also host its biennial International Poster Competition. Details on how to participate will be announced soon. Winners of the Poster Competition will be announced at the Congress in Dubai.