JEDDAH, 27 April 2006 — For the first time, a Saudi beauty expo is being organized here. “The exhibition, meant for both women and men, will have the participation of around 100 national and international companies,” marbelife President Saud Alakeel told Arab News in an interview.
The event will be set at Jeddah Hilton for three days in September, about a week before the commencement of Ramadan month.
His company is marketing the event among national and overseas exhibitors, following a deal with Abdullah M. I-Fadel, executive manager of Exhibitions Solutions, the organizer of the event, Alakeel said. The upcoming event has a dedicated website (www.saudibeautyexpo.com).
He expects many cosmetic and other beauty product manufacturers and dealers from within the Kingdom and elsewhere in the world to take part in the exhibition.
“This is the first ever beauty exhibition and surely many beauty product dealers and manufacturers will enthusiastically participate, more so to establish themselves in the booming economies of the Kingdom and the Gulf,” Alakeel said.
“I’ve my marketing companies in Spain, Qatar, Egypt and Russia, and representatives in many other countries,” he said, adding that the Kingdom’s recent membership of the World Trade Organizations, in fact, inspired him to consider plans for such activities.
“The Kingdom has been opening up and we in the private sector feel that we too can promote activities within the framework of rules and regulations,” said Alakeel whose five-year-old company is essentially involved in advertising and public relations.
He chose to name marbelife for his company influenced by the kind of exclusive, refined and relaxed life that people of a Spanish resort lead. “That’s the place that members of the royal family love to spend, because their lifestyle is none different from that of the Arab world,” said Alakeel who held the job of executive secretary in the office of former Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd for 11 years. He had his early education in Lebanon and then in the Kingdom. He graduated in business administration from a US university in California in 1988.
Alakeel, who has offices in Jeddah, Dammam and Alkhobar, publishes “Leqaa” magazine for women and “Nesma” magazine devoted to real estate. He also represents some overseas magazines including those published in Lebanon, Kuwait and Egypt. He is also a member of Egypt-based Arab Distributors Union.
Besides, he has been heading three other companies — Alakeel Construction Establishment, Alakeel Trading for electrical and electromechanical products, and Alakeel Trading & Services for general trading.
