RAK window opens for glass blower

The Life: French glass blower Jean Claude Novaro's works are highly sought after by art connoisseurs. He speaks about why he chose Ras Al Khaimah to be his main factory.

Jean Claude Novaro removes a piece of glass from a heating furnance in his new factory in RAK Ceramics in Ras al Khaimah. Jeff Topping / The National
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Jean Claude Novaro is a French glass blower and his works have been snapped up by art connoisseurs. They can be found in museums, galleries and private collections all over the world. Mr Novaro recently set up a factory in the UAE and talks about the local glass-blowingindustry and why he chose to base his main factory in Ras Al Khaimah.

How big is the glass-blowing market in the UAE?

The UAE and the greater GCC region are just beginning to embrace glass blowing and we hope to develop this promising market by continuing to produce high-quality, attractive products with our French-originated expertise. Our original factory is based in Biot, France.

Will the new factory sell glass to the UAE or elsewhere around the world?

The factory in Ras Al Khaimah will now be the main factory for Novaro; we will be serving the needs of our customers world-wide.

Why did you choose Ras Al Khaimah as your new global base?

We felt that Ras Al Khaimah was the most suitable location for our factory due to the large number of orders we are receiving from the UAE and the greater GCC area. We are very positive that there is a big market for art business here and we hope to develop it even further. We find that our customers in this region have an eye for quality and beauty and we strive to meet their unique needs.

Surely Dubai or one of the other bigger emirates would have been better?

The second factor in our decision to set up in Ras Al Khaimah was due to the pleasant, quiet ambience and relaxed lifestyle. Also influencing our decision was that RAK is a free-zone and therefore exempt from taxes. Lastly, we have found there is also a low cost of setting up combined with low operational costs and governmental support.

What are the challenges of setting up a glass-blowing factory in a region that is just starting to embrace your work?

The region is just starting to understand more about our products, so we are working on conveying to our key markets the benefits of our products. Each piece in the factory is handmade to the highest exacting standards of excellence.

How do you transport the products around? Do you have to use special trucks or take any special measures?

We have a normal courier service to transport the products and find that transportation is smooth and efficient.

* Gillian Duncan

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