International Women’s Day: How Duha Al Ramadhan Became A Jewelry Retail Change-Maker

If you thought bling was king in the Middle Eastern jewelry market, you can think again.”There’s a misconception that the Middle East is about being over-the-top, that there’s an almost disposable attitude to money here,” Duha Al Ramadhan tells me. “But people are actually very cautious. They are willing to spend a lot on what they love, but they make considered purchases.” And as CEO and owner of Kuwait City-based Aubade Jewelry, that’s an approach she has carried into her 10-year-old retail business.

Al Ramadhan came up with the concept for Kuwait’s first multi-brand jewelry store in 2013, when as an avid jewelry lover, she became frustrated at not being able to find the pieces she wanted close to home. “I was always bringing jewelry back from trips to Europe and the US that was different and unique. It was the early days of Instagram, and I found a cuff that I loved by Alison Lou, but she wasn’t stocked anywhere in the region. It inspired me to start a business to showcase contemporary international brands. My husband told me: ‘just try, and if you don’t succeed in a year, you can shut it down’ So I went for it, and we opened in 2014.”

A decade later, Al Ramadhan now runs the original Aubade flagship in Kuwait alongside a new store in Dubai; the two cater to two very different markets. If whispers at Paris Fashion Week this month are to believed, Aubade is seen as the region’s premier independent brand retailer by the jewelry design community, the golden ticket to a diverse retail market that appears deceptively simple to crack. The jewelry market in the Middle East and Africa was worth $22.24 billion in 2021 and demand for gold is on the rise; as luxury brands increasingly look towards the wealthy potential customers that live or vacation in these new markets, Al Ramadhan is well-positioned for further expansion in the region and beyond.

But for all her success, as a female entrepreneur changing the face of jewelry retail in the Middle East, what remains most important for Al Ramadhan this International Women’s Day, is the example she is setting for her daughter. “From watching me run my business, I’d like her to take away persistence. It’s easy to give up in the face of challenges and this has been a huge learning curve, but if you keep going it will be worth it. Set your mind to something and never give up.”

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Duha Al Ramandhan recounts her business journey.

How would you describe the jewellery market in the Middle East?

People have the idea that the Middle East is flashy, but we actually make very considered purchases and Kuwaiti style in particular, is very modern. A shift is underway towards consumer investment in pieces we can enjoy every day, and not just put away to admire from afar. That change of mindset was expedited during Covid, when customers began moving away from very overblown pieces and occasion wear. You can put on a piece of jewelry and instantly feel good, and I think that’s what people want now.

What works in your market? Have you noticed any trends recently?

Emeralds are very big because the color green represents good fortune. In Kuwait people are looking a little wider now, and we’re now also moving towards blue and pink sapphires, and brighter colors.

Seasonality also plays a big role in our buying here, as in the Middle East we change our jewellery according to the season — we don’t wear yellow gold all year round and tend to switch to white gold and black gold in winter when we wear darker colors.

Kuwait can sometimes be a step ahead. We went with coins and medallions in 2018, before they hit Europe, that’s a trend that’s now tapering off. Chunky solitaire pendants could take their place, as dainty necklaces died out for us when heavier chain came in. We listen to what our clients want, and respond to that.

Tell me about the challenges that you’ve overcome as a female businesswoman.

Around the time I started Aubade, a lot of women of a similar age were setting up their own businesses and I had to shake of the stigma of being ‘another stay-at-home mom opening a store’. I graduated as an industrial engineer, so some people thought I was wasting my education. But the proof is in the pudding, I’ve doubled the size of the original store, opened in Dubai and have just launched a new website.

Gaining the trust of both clients and designers was also a big challenge. It took time to build designers relationships as the Kuwait retail scene was not well-known ten years ago, so it was about gaining trust — now people come to us. In terms of clientele, I was introducing something completely new to the market, customers couldn’t understand why the pieces were so expensive if they weren’t big luxury brands, so we had to educate about the design and craftsmanship of our jewels that are hand-made in the US or Europe.

I’ve been plugging away at this for 10 years, it wasn’t an overnight success, it took hard, sustained work and patience, but it’s been a very organic process. I ignore the doubters and let my business speak for itself and I can now see that perception changing — my family are proud of me, my peers get it. It’s a different career path to the one that was expected of me, but I’m working equally hard.

How do you balance motherhood with your career?

I’ve been working hard on setting boundaries for myself recently, but I’ll admit it’s not always easy; work sometimes comes home with me. My third child, a daughter, was born a few months before Covid, and during that time I reassessed my priorities. Being able to watch her grow was wonderful — work will never end, and children grow so fast. I hope I’m paving the way as a good example for my children.

The reality, is that any working mother to young children needs a huge support system. My husband is very supportive but he’s just as busy as me. We’re lucky to live in a family-oriented culture, so my mom and sister help out, and we have a wonderful nanny who we trust.

You now have two flagship stores, one in Kuwait and one in Dubai. How are these two markets different?

Opening in Kuwait was a very straightforward process. Our clientele is 95% domestic so I could go with my intuition and understanding of what our clients there want. It’s a very fashion-forward community, so we can’t rely on safe pieces for a clientele that is looking for innovation. I went with my gut feeling and success came very naturally via word of mouth.

We launched the website for more international reach, and needed another flagship, an international hub to support our expansion. In Dubai, our clientele is a diverse mix of tourist, locals, and residents, so the classics and bestsellers do better there. It’s been more challenging as I don’t know the clients so well, and we’re not just talking to just one type of customer. I’m running one store with my heart and one with head!

Which designers are you watching right now?

I had been eyeing Rainbow K for a while, and we just launched them in Kuwait where the brand was an instant success. And I’m delighted that Sophie Bille Brahe has just launched in Dubai for the international market.

What are your next steps for Aubade?

Our new website launches today, March 8, and I’d love more international expansion. I’m not rushing to open another flagship, but I am hoping for one more store in the region, maybe Saudi Arabia or Quatar which will be very different markets, once again. My dream is a store in LA — never say never!