The city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates - The GIA is soon to open a labin Dubai in mid-year 2023.
The laboratory will cover two floors of a brand new tower that has 79 levels.
Announcement For Dubai Opening - New Leading Hub In Dubai
The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre made the announcement earlier this week, and it comes at a time when the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is closing its lab in Antwerp due to a lack of demand, and when Dubai is looking more to cement its position as a leading hub for both rough and polished diamonds.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) once maintained a take-in facility and provided educational opportunities in Dubai via GIA India Laboratory Pvt. Ltd., but it shut down its operations at the end of 2019.
GIA's new facility in Dubai will be managed by the organization's subsidiary, GIA Laboratory DMCC.
Great Future Of GIA Lab
According to DMCC, the new GIA lab in Dubai will cover more than 41,000 square feet across two floors of the Uptown Tower.
The Uptown Tower is a structure that is 1,115 feet tall and includes a combination of office space, residential space, retail space, and hotel space.
It has committed to renting space in the building for the next nine years.
According to DMCC, the custom design of the laboratory will "create new efficiencies" in the laboratory procedures and services provided by GIA.
Additionally, the lab will make use of the most recent technology, such as modern GIA equipment.
It is anticipated that the launch of the laboratory would result in the creation of up to 500 new employees in Dubai.
In the announcement of the lease, DMCC quoted Tom Moses, GIA executive vice president, and chief laboratory and research officer, as saying:
“„The growing importance of Dubai as a diamondcenter and its outstanding infrastructure make the DMCC an excellent choice for a significant expansion of GIA's capacity.
Moses's comments were included in the DMCC announcement.
“„Dubai’s close proximity to the important diamond manufacturing and producing centers, in addition to efficient transportation links to global diamond markets, will help support our clients and, very importantly, extend our important consumer protection mission.
The Inspired Structure Will Be Dubai's Newest Landmark
The GIA has stated that additional details on the new laboratory would be made public closer to the middle of 2023 when it first opens its doors.
Uptown Tower is a project of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the same group that produced the Burj Khalifa.
It was designed to call to mind a diamond, with an all-glass front that mimics facets, and it was a project of the architecture firm.
It has a goldcertification from the LEED system and is being marketed as "Dubai's latest landmark."
A little earlier this year, construction on the skyscraper was completed.
According to DMCC, the structure is presently going through its testing and commissioning phase, and its completion is expected to take place by the fourth quarter of this year.