Even Royal Family Members Can Struggle To Buy Rolex Watches In Dubai
NDTV
Roughly three-quarters of the company's clients are UAE nationals and resident expatriates, including people from India, China, Germany and the UK.
When a sheikh or a royal family member wants a Rolex, you might imagine they'd get bumped to the top of the 4,000- strong waiting list in the United Arab Emirates. Right?
Not always, says Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, chief commercial officer of Seddiqi Holding, owner of a retailer of Swiss watches in the UAE. If a royal wants a watch for personal use, they'll get it. But if they're looking for watches to give as gifts - to dignitaries, perhaps royalty from other countries - the company may be more selective, Seddiqi says.
"Some people really take it personally," he says. "We have to be fair to clients and make sure we give it to the right people."
This is just one of the happy problems now facing Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the only authorized Rolex distributor in the emirate of Dubai and the company running the world's largest Rolex store. The Swiss watch industry has experienced surging demand over the past two years and is on track for its best year ever, by value of exports.