Sri Lanka will host the international gem and jewellery exhibition Gem City Ratnapura 2026 from August 31 to September 2, Deputy Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe announced at a media briefing on Wednesday.
Themed “Home to the Finest”, the exhibition will showcase Sri Lanka’s gemstones — including the renowned Ceylon Blue Sapphire — while positioning the country as a leading hub in the global gem and jewellery industry, Abeysinghe said at the Department of Government Information.
The August 31–September 2 dates have been strategically chosen to align with the international gem exhibition calendar so that global buyers travelling to the East Asian gem fairs in September can stop in Sri Lanka beforehand and get firsthand exposure to the country’s gem industry, the Deputy Minister told reporters.
Abeysinghe used the briefing to underline the government’s commitment to formalising the gem and jewellery sector and transforming it into one of Sri Lanka’s key foreign-exchange earners. The industry currently generates approximately US$300 million in annual export revenue and is undergoing comprehensive reforms across its entire value chain, he said, to accelerate growth and enhance global competitiveness.
Organisers expect Gem City Ratnapura 2026 to surpass the 2025 edition, which attracted more than 7,500 visitors and over 200 international buyers.
Abeysinghe also leads on Phase 2 of the plantation lands programme opened across seven districts to local and foreign investors, part of a broader push by the Industries Ministry to formalise sectors with high foreign-exchange potential.
Source: Newswire.
