Luxury brands from across the region and the world dazzled guests at the third American Express World Luxury Expo held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The majestic Ritz-Carlton in the capital played host to three-day event (March 11-13), which was inaugurated by HH Prince Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Abdullah Al Faisal to an audience of VIP guests and other dignitaries. 

The event was organised by Nayyara Exhibitions, whose chairperson is HRH Princess Nouf Bint Faisal Bin Turki Al Sau, on behalf of the UK-based World Luxury Group. 

This was the eighth edition of the World Luxury Expo international series of events.

Nizar Abou Hassan, Director of Premium Products Management, American Express Saudi Arabia Limited, said “Our promise to deliver service excellence and world class experiences were showcased in our continued commitment to the World Luxury Expo. The dedicated Cardmember’s access lane along with the American Express Salon Prive’ offered new and exclusive experiences which were aligned with our premium products proposition designed to cater to the affluent lifestyle of our valued Cardmembers. We look forward to welcoming the local and international luxury brand partners again next year who will be exhibiting an even more spectacular selection of their prestigious and exclusive products.”

A selection of highlights from the three-day event included Dar al Oud, a prestigious premium fragrance brand made from 100 per cent Oud oil, launching its latest range of exclusive luxury products, enriched with Swarovski crystals. This limited edition range offers its users a taste of a new luxurious and unmatched experience.

Royal Selangor, craftsmen of the finest pewter pieces, honoured the generosity of Middle Eastern hospitality with the launch of Atiya – an opulent tableware collection inspired by Islamic patterns carved on the wooden pulpits of 15th century Egyptian mosques. 

Atiya features the arabesque in which complex interlacing pewter plant motifs portray the infinite beauty of divine perfection. The eight pointed star, symbolising the four corners of the compass (north, south, east and west) and time (two solstices and two equinoxes) is also expressed in meticulous detail.

British jeweller D'Joya - the Art of Jewellery took the occasion to launch the Rosette Collection, inspired by the romance of architecture, and engraved into a priceless jewel. The collection was launched as five-pieces, to be built on with time

Steven Hill, General Manager at Al Ghassan Motors, comments: “Bentley is the pinnacle of automotive luxury and we selected World Luxury Expo to reinforce our status as the ultimate luxury performance sedan benchmark by becoming the Official Automotive Sponsor of what has become an annual signature event for Riyadh.”

Al Ghassan Motors is also the distributor for Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, McLaren and Lotus in Saudi Arabia.

VIP visitors also experienced the Aston Martin debut in the kingdom of the historic Lagonda Taraf, a limited edition series of its new legendary super-luxury sports marque. 

“This is simply the best Lagonda ever made and introduces a new benchmark of quality, luxury and performance. Put simply, there is nothing like it out there to compare it with; it’s a one off design and will surely appeal to enthusiasts and collectors everywhere,” said Mark Pocock, General Manager for Aston Martin at Haji Husein Alireza, Saudi Arabia’s Aston Martin and Lagonda dealer. 

Other collectors pieces seen at the event included a historic 1956 Mercedes 300 SL GullWing, a Ferrari Laferrari 2015 (one of only 499 units ever made) and a Maybach SW38 1936 (one of only three models in the world). These special automotive vintage pieces were displayed by Seven Star Car Lounge.

Exhibitors on display included S T Dupont timepieces, a luxury lifestyle portfolio of DAMAC Properties, Ladurée, exclusive Cartier, Boucheron, Maybach, Aigner and Baldinini eyewear by Mugla Optical, home entertainment systems by Audi Video Corner (AVC), Astas Fine Residences, the ‘King of Modern Pâtisserie’ - Pierre Hermé, Nora Garden designers, Japanese cosmetic collection by Karin and boutique resorts on some of the most beautiful islands in the Maldives, Coco Privé. 

Other products showcased included modern luxury fragrance from Bassem Al Qassem, Italian furniture and design by La Contessina, Bowers & Wilkins audio systems by Archimedia, cosmetic surgery and healthcare services by Adama Clinic, Bang & Olufsen, Emirates NBD, De'Longhi designer coffee systems, rare oud by Saad Bashammakh, Kaya Skincare, Fauchon, exclusive sleep solutions by Matt Royal, Golden Caviar, Narcissus Hotel & Residence, Al Nadera Jewellers, Penthouses London, and Top VIP Travel services.

Following the success of this event, World Luxury Expo will return to Riyadh in 2016 from March 30 to April 1 at the Ritz-Carlton. 

World Luxury Group is the corporate head office for the executive production team of the World Luxury Expo series of events in the Middle East and Asia.