26 March 2009 saw the opening in Dubai of Cartier’s largest boutique in the Middle East, in the heart of the prestigious Dubai Mall. An emblem of refined elegance, this unique location is imbued with the history of Cartier and, with a generous surface area of over 700 m2, ranks among its five largest jewellery boutiques in the world. Here, the full range of Cartier creations are presented in a collection of various private salons, true to the tradition of the Rue de la Paix boutique.

Santos 100 watch, in 18k solid yellow gold*

The much heralded opening assembled a large number of guests around Bernard Fornas, President and CEO of Cartier International, and Patrick Normand, Director of Cartier Middle East and South Asia, including Anil Kapoor, the award-winning actor from the film Slumdog Millionaire, Bollywood actress and model Karisma Kapur, HE Sheikha Lubna Ak Qassimi, Minister of Foreign Trades and the actress Monica Bellucci.

The true face of Cartier and a perfect evening star, Bellucci inaugurated the evening and invited the gathered guests to discover a selection of little jewellery-box theatres that brought the jeweller’s classic themes to life: China, Russia, India, Africa, etc. Extending an invitation to embark on an imaginary trip into the various worlds of Cartier, the staging was focused on the celebrated Cartier red jewellery box, with its promise of desire, dreams and mystery.

This inauguration reaffirms the cultural ties between Cartier and Dubai, where Cartier has been organising one of its most spectacular polo tournaments for the last four years. Polo symbolises a certain art of living and reflects a shared passion to which Cartier paid tribute with the creation of a Santos 100 watch decorated with the profile of an Arab thoroughbred in enamel. A rare watch released in a limited edition of 20 individually numbered timepieces, created exclusively for the Dubai boutique.

* Santos 100 watch, in 18k solid yellow gold featuring an enameled dial and partially enameled with the Arabian Horse motif and paved with round diamonds. Mechanical movement with automatic winding, alligator strap with an 18K yellow gold adjustable deployant buckle. Individually-numbered and limited edition of 20.

The Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge 2009 was held in the prestigious setting of Dubai’s Desert Palm Hotel, under the gracious patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of Dubai.

Each year, Cartier organises three spectacular polo tournaments: the traditional and royal Cartier International Polo at Guards Polo Club, Windsor, the daring and athletic Saint-Moritz Snow Polo event and the exceptional Desert Polo match in Dubai. These three splendid occasions have become much awaited events and enable the jeweller to express its attachment to this unique sport, a symbol of a certain “art of living”.

Now in its fourth year, the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge 2009 hosted a large number of stars and VIPs from around the world. This year, the actress and Cartier muse Monica Bellucci, accompanied by Anil Kapoor, the celebrated actor of the film Slumdog Millionaire, were among the guests present, alongside members of the Dubai royal family, VIPs from Dubai and a large number of admirers.

2 teams took to the field:

• Qatar Airways with Sunjay Kapur, Rashid Albawadry, Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers and Martin Valent
  
• Emirates NBD with Tariq Albawardy, Sir Michael Rake, Clive Reid and Rodolfo Ducos.

Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Bernard Fornas, President and CEO of Cartier International, and Patrick Normand, Director of Cartier Middle East, presented the trophy to the winning team, Qatar Airways.

Bernard Fornas, President and CEO of Cartier International, also presented Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein with the profits from the LOVECharity operation: a donation of 646,000 AED (around 100,000 euros) in aid of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Throughout the tournament, guests had the pleasure of gathering at the Villa Cartier – which was set up on the site – to celebrate the event, surrounded by the latest Cartier creations.