Jewelry experts and enthusiasts are this week congregating in the Middle East for the celebrated Watch & Jewelry Dubai exhibition.

The annual event is the region's most important trade fair of its kind and exhibitors are set to dazzle VIPs and connoisseurs once again with the very finest in platinum jewellery, loose diamonds, pearls, gold jewellery and lavish watches.

There were 435 exhibitors last year and officials expect this year's event to offer something similarly impressive.

A post-exhibition report in 2005 concluded that 3,978 industry professionals had been in attendance representing an increase of 20 per cent on the 2004 show. With exhibitors promising to surpass last year's achievements in terms of range and quality, this figure may well rise again.

A breakdown of purchasing trends last year reveals that 26 per cent of all transactions involving trade visitors were for diamond jewellery.

Platinum jewellery accounted for four per cent of all purchases, but there are signs that this could edge up significantly this year as platinum accessories appear more commonly on catwalks and red carpets.

The show, which will run until December 16th, promises to draw together "all facets of the industry under one roof, creating an interactive business and learning environment that no other medium can match".