The jewellery company Mouawad, which has an outlet in Dubai Mall, plans to open in Abu Dhabi.
The jewellery company Mouawad, which has an outlet in Dubai Mall, plans to open in Abu Dhabi.

Mouawad has designs on dazzling the Middle East



Mouawad, the jewellery company behind the world's most expensive handbag, is planning to expand rapidly in the Middle East, with stores due to open in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Doha.

The company has 14 stores worldwide, including in Los Angeles, Beirut and Geneva, and aims to more than double this number to 30 in the next five years.

Pascal Mouawad, one of the fourth-generation owners of the jeweller, said the company was searching for a store location in Abu Dhabi to open in the next 12 months.

"We have a strong customer base and strong presence in this part of the world," Mr Mouawad said. "We are looking to open several stores a year for the next few years.

"Naturally, we want to be in every key city where there are the influential taste makers, and in each capital [of the Middle East] we want a top location," he said.

He added that the Middle East already provided the largest portion of the company's revenue. Funding for the expansion would come from cash flow,he said.

In February, the company unveiled the world's most expensive handbag, the 1001 Nights Diamond Purse, worth US$3.8 million (Dh13.9m).

The bag was launched in Los Angeles, then started a world tour in Qatar, moving on to Riyadh, Dubai and Beirut. It is currently at the Formula One racing event in Kuala Lumpur.

"The purse is making a lot of noise and is a big coup for us," Mr Mouawad said.

The handbag was designed to be sold and not to break records, and a number of clients had shown an interest in buying it, Mr Mouawad said.

"The purse will sell, it's something that a very special person will purchase. It's a functional bag," he said.

In 2006, Mr Mouawad moved the company's US offices from New York to Los Angeles to develop relationships with Hollywood celebrities.

The company has collaborated on jewellery designs with celebrities including the fashion model Heidi Klum and has accessorised actresses including Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie.

In 2000, Mouawad was a sponsor of the Cannes Film Festival, hoping to break into the celebrity market. The company threw an after-show party with Victoria's Secret.

"The beauty of collaborating with celebs is that it gets a lot of editorial coverage, you get more bang for your dollar," Mr Mouawad said.

The company has no plans to collaborate with celebrities or royalty in the Middle East.

Mr Mouawad and his brother Fred are the fourth generation of Mouawads to run the jeweller, after their great-grandfather established the business in Beirut in 1908.

The two brothers took the reins of the company in January last year and aim to expand the brand globally.

"In the luxury sector you are selling luxury, and so for people to buy your product you need to be notorious and make your name available," Pascal Mouawad said.

Fred Mouawad is based in Thailand, and beyond the jewellery business, he runs retail outlets.

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hoopla%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jacqueline%20Perrottet%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20required%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

The UAE Today

The latest news and analysis from the Emirates

      By signing up, I agree to The National's privacy policy
      The UAE Today