Dubai Customs has announced inauguration of the 21st edition of the Carpet & Arts Oasis, at Dubai World Trade Centre, Zabeel Hall 2, to be held until January 15.
The Carpet & Art Oasis is a not-to-be-missed exhibition of some of the rarest and most unique carpets and rugs from various well-known carpet producing countries of the world.
Abdul Rahman Issa, Chairman of the Carpet Oasis' Steering Committee, noted that this year’s exhibition is taking place ahead of time to catch up with the festive season and new year celebrations, at the request of traders and customers, as this time sees peak consumer demand of carpets.
Is being held over an area of 6,000 square meters, the Oasis includes 54 pavilions spreading over 4,000 square meters. The remaining area is used to hold auctions on handmade rugs and conduct workshops for visitors to see how carpets are made and how knots are tied.
This year’s Oasis features as many as 250,000 exquisite silk and wool rugs in estimated net market value of Dh2 billion, crafted in distinguished rug-making countries; Iran, India, China, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.
Around 25% of displayed items are antiques that are showcased for the first time. Some of these date back to over 400-500 years and are brought from Iran and Azerbaijan to the Oasis only as display items.
Issa remarked, "The Oasis will include a museum that will display historical documents and holdings that tell the story of Dubai Customs from the beginning till now."
The main entrance of the Oasis has a miniature model of Dubai Customs' first building with a 3D panorama pictures of the late sheiks who used it as their official office to run the emirate.
The Carpet Oasis is open for visitors Saturdays to Thursdays from 10am to 10pm and Fridays from 4pm to 11pm, with no entry fees.
Daily raffle draws at the Oasis will offer visitors a chance to take home valuable prizes.
Organized by Dubai Customs every year as part of Dubai Shopping Festival since 1996, the Carpet & Art Oasis exhibition increasingly attracts larger crowds, as it features a multitude of rare and exquisite carpets brought forth from the world’s most famous carpet manufacturing countries.