On this week's episode of The Business of Watches, a frank discussion with one of the most powerful women in the world of horology. Hind Seddiqi is the Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Watch Week, an event that's grown and matured to become one of the few truly top-tier events on the watch sector calendar. As CEO of the biennial gathering, Seddiqi oversees the team that decides which brands get to exhibit their wares, which executives and collectors get to speak on the industry panels, and exactly how the massive show is staged, presented, and organized. 

This year's Dubai Watch Week was the most successful edition yet and marked a new era of international profile for an idea launched a decade ago by the United Arab Emirates retailer Ahmed Seddiqi as a way to showcase watchmaking and inform locals about the industry. Housed in a new, larger, and purpose-built venue near the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Watch Week 2025 welcomed a record 49,000 visitors this year, a 113% increase from the previous edition. The event, marking the 75th anniversary of the Seddiqi family retail empire, saw a wave of collector groups fly in from around the world to attend a show that offers up close and personal access to many of the biggest names in watchmaking, from Max Büsser to Roger Smith, to Rexhep Rexhepi, and the CEO of A. Lange & Söhne, Wilhelm Schmid. 

Hind Seddiqi says one of her biggest challenges now is preserving the casual, spontaneous, and intimate feel of Dubai Watch Week as demand for a place at the table continues to rise. She talks about Dubai, its torrid growth (and punishing traffic) and the city's increasingly important role in the international economy and how she plans to manage the demands and expectations of a massively popular event. 

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Show Notes: 

3:08 Dubai Watch Week

4:32 Ahmed Seddiqi 

5:03 A Rare Look Inside The Incredible Collection Of Mohammed Seddiqi At Dubai Watch Week

9:09 Dubai Watch Week Masterclasses

10:31 Audemars Piguet "House of Wonders" at Dubai Watch Week 

12:15 Dubai population growth (Gulf News) 

16:05 Francis Ford Coppola's Personal 'FFC' Sells for $10.755 million, The Most Expensive F.P. Journe Ever Sold

17:30 Dubai Mall 

20:50 Rolex CEO Says Brand Won't Significantly Expand Own Retail And Will Continue To Work With Authorized Dealers

23:15 Top Swiss Watch CEOs Talk Leadership And Strategy Amid Industry Challenges At Dubai Watch Week

26:30 Tudor Launches New Ranger In 36MM At Dubai Watch Week