ShowBuzz
SAJEX 2025: Opening new horizons in Saudi Arabia’s jewellery market
The inaugural Saudi Arabia Jewellery Exposition (SAJEX) organised by GJEPC at the Jeddah Superdome marked more than just another trade show—it represented a watershed moment in India-Saudi relations and the birth of what promises to become a landmark event for the global gems and jewellery industry.
From 11th to 13th September 2025, over 100 exhibitors across 200 booths showcased the finest in jewellery craftsmanship, while more than 1,500 unique international trade buyers explored opportunities in a market set to nearly double to US$8.34 billion by 2030.
The timing couldn’t have been better. With India-Saudi total bilateral trade touching US$42 billion in FY 2024-25, and India’s gem and jewellery exports to the Kingdom rising 45% to US$151.5 million, SAJEX arrived as both a celebration of existing ties and a catalyst for future growth. The 55% jump to $129.31 million in studded gold jewellery exports alone signals the appetite Saudi consumers have for Indian craftsmanship.
Kirit Bhansali, Chairman, GJEPC, noted, “SAJEX represents a significant step towards deepening India-Saudi collaboration, creating new opportunities for trade, innovation, and industry leadership.” The success of this inaugural edition has laid the foundation for what promises to be a transformative partnership between two nations with complementary strengths and shared aspirations.
Her Royal Highness Princess Nourah Al-Faisal – Designer, Entrepreneur, and Industry Leader, noted, “I’m especially delighted to be with our partners from India, who have stood by me in business for over 30 years—we are truly fortunate to have you. It makes perfect sense to build an ecosystem closer to home that fosters creativity and collaboration. Our youth are incredibly talented, dedicated, and full of potential, but they need the right support—educational, industrial, and more—to unlock it. India’s deep expertise and experience in this industry make it the ideal partner to help us build that infrastructure. Together, we can create new opportunities, open pathways, and empower a new generation of designers to achieve their dreams.”
SAJEX 2025 highlighted the immense potential of the Saudi jewellery market, which spans mass to luxury segments, creating opportunities for Indian manufacturers across the spectrum. While high customs duties and VAT remain challenges, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reforms and structured government engagement are paving the way for smoother trade.
The exhibition underscored the role of technology in shaping retail, manufacturing, and consumer experiences, with younger Saudis seeking seamless online-to-offline integration. Joint manufacturing ventures emerged as a key opportunity, positioning Saudi Arabia as both a consumption hub and a future production base for the GCC and MENA regions.
Panel discussions, moderated by CNBC-TV18’s Manisha Gupta, reinforced synergies between Saudi’s natural resources and India’s expertise. Together, Vision 2030 and India@2047 point toward a collaborative future.
For Indian jewellers, the message was clear: act decisively now to capture a share of Saudi’s projected US$8–10 billion jewellery market by 2030.
T.Gold, the leading B2B trade show for jewellery technology by Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), will run from January 16th to 20th, 2026, concurrently with Vicenzaoro. The event highlights how advanced machinery is crucial for optimizing costs, especially with rising gold prices, and promoting sustainable production across the gold and jewellery supply chain.
Key Highlights:
- Dates & Location: January 16-20, 2026, at the Vicenza Expo Centre (Hall 9), alongside Vicenzaoro January.
- Focus: Showcase of machinery and technology that enables industrial and artisan producers to optimize raw material costs (e.g., micro-casting, waste recovery) and ensure environmental respect (sustainability).
- IEG’s View (Matteo Farsura): Technology, including additive manufacturing and digitalization, is transforming the sector by increasing company margins and making production more sustainable. IEG is developing a “comprehensive technology agenda” to boost competitiveness globally.
- Exhibitors: 170 companies from 16 countries, with 40% being foreign exhibitors (led by Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, India, and the US).
- Product Sectors: Six main areas (alloy treatment, prototyping, advanced mechanics, laser welding, precious metal recovery, tools) plus cutting-edge fields like 3D printing, additive manufacturing, and advanced automation.
- Made in Italy Leadership (Massimo Poliero, AFEMO): Italian jewellery mechanics is a global leader, generating an estimated €1 billion in turnover, with member companies of AFEMO (Jewellery Manufacturing Machinery Exporters) accounting for about 70% of total exports. Key export markets are Eastern regions (Turkey, India, South-East Asia).
ITALIAN EXHIBITION GROUP’S TECHNOLOGY AGENDA
From September 2026, when the Expo Centre’s new central hall will be fully operational, IEG will also complete its technology agenda. Vicenza will become an international hub for gold and precious metal technology thanks to a second annual edition of T.Gold, which will extend the range of technical content on offer, further enrich the workshop and seminar programme, and provide greater continuity to collaborations with leading technology players. This special agenda, which alternates between T.Gold, Oroarezzo and JGT in Dubai, will be joined every other year by the vertical events Jewellery Technology Forum, which will be back in September 2026, and The Vicenza Symposium, which, after its debut last September with an extremely high international turnout, will return in September 2027.
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JewelBuzz is Asia’s First Digital Jewellery Media & India’s No.1 B2B Jewellery Magazine, published by AM Media House. Since 2016, we’ve been the trusted source for jewellery news, market trends, trade insights, exhibitions, podcasts, and brand stories, connecting jewellers, retailers, and industry professionals worldwide.