Dubai
One of the highlights at Index 2013, the interiors event of the year in the Middle East, will be a

stunning display of classic high-tech and art safes from Germany’s Balve High Tech Safes Company.

A first-time exhibitor at Index, the company is optimistic about making a dramatic impact on both exhibitors and visitors which will convert to a wealth of serious enquiries and, with luck, a few orders as well!

“We are participating at Index because to us it represents the perfect opportunity to effectively penetrate the regional market,” said Sabine Balve, owner of Balve High Tech Safes Company.

“The very high quality of the large visitor audience attending Index, and the exhibitor profile, which includes the cream of the region’s interior designers and interior decorators were the reasons behind choosing Index as the launch platform for our remarkable products.

“The visitors and participants at the show will be top decision makers and they could be my clients on two counts – on the corporate level and as individual clients with a penchant for the finer things in life. And we also see Index as the ideal environment for networking and building relationships, so the opportunities are very exciting.”

Balve’s vision is to create a line of exotic and futuristic high tech and art safes, unique creations which will complement the high-end lifestyle of the crème-de-la-crème of this region, and for this lady, nothing is impossible, which is why the hi-tech and art safes she produces for her discerning clients, including royalty from across the globe, are truly something out of the ordinary.

One of the masterpieces on display at Index will be swathed in silver and embedded with 50,000 Swarovski stones.

This stunning piece is the creation of Jake and Gigi, who have crafted this novel piece as their forte is working with vintage Swarovski stones.

Balve safes cost anything between €40,000 and €250,000 ($50,254 and $314,089), are made from patented ceramic armour plating, and installed with a patented Balvetec electronic locking system, providing 100 per cent security, including espionage protection.

The fireproof safes take between three months to a year to manufacture, depending on clients’ specifications and include the use of rare materials, including camel and cow hair, woven horse hair, the finest calf and ostrich leather, as well as crocodile, alligator, mink, shark, sting ray, snake and python skin and chrome, sterling silver and 24-carat gold to line the interior and exterior of the safe.

“Our customised safes are hand-crafted masterpieces that are usually displayed prominently in plush offices, homes, palaces, yachts and even Learjets, as they are extremely safe and true works of art,” said Balve, who opened her company in 1992 after realising there was a niche in the market for luxurious, high-tech safes.

Customised orders regularly come through and all of the safes, which are manufactured in Germany, come with the guarantee of superb quality, the highest bank safety class and the ultimate in aesthetic appeal.

“Our safes are indestructible and I refuse to keep the master code, especially since I have no written notes regarding any of my clients’ orders.

“We always keep in touch by cell phone and I personally deliver the finished safes myself in anonymous boxes, along with one or two of my people. Our safes are distinctive and classic and as exclusive as Bentleys or Maybachs,” said Balve.

“I am very discreet with my clients and respect their confidentiality which they like.

“We maintain no written records of client specifications and requirements.

“The only thing they receive from my company is a bill, with no details whatsoever of the projects we work on,” she added.

Balve High Tech Safes is currently working with a new designer from Milan, Italy – Mino Longo – who uses resin, acrylic, glass, mosaic, and natural materials, including stones, bamboo, flowers and shells to create spectacularly covered safes that have a three dimensional look with an underwater feel.

The company is also planning to offer panic rooms, especially for palaces in the region.

“We are getting several enquiries from Saudi Arabia, and because we’ve created vault rooms in Europe using ceramic armouring – the largest to date being 600 sq m – it is important for us to provide this service to our Middle Eastern clients as well,” concluded Balve, who wants to give her clients something they will appreciate all their lives that will be useful in their lifetime and for future generations as well.

The largest ever interiors show ever to be staged in the Middle East, Index 2013 will cover 35,380 square metres, showcasing 1,650 manufacturers and suppliers from 57 countries.

“We celebrate 16 highly successful years of Index this year with the biggest, brightest interiors event ever seen in the region – the show is renowned internationally for featuring some of the world’s most innovative interiors products and I have to say that Sabine’s unique safes are truly incredible,” said Kim Willis, exhibition development director of dmg world media Dubai, organisers of the internationally respected and acclaimed event.

The premier event for the Gulf region’s architects, specifiers and designers, Index 2013, which runs from November 7 to 11 at Dubai International Exhibiton Centre, is a vital visit for anyone involved in the interiors industry.

dmg world media Dubai Ltd, part of the dmg world media group of companies, has a wealth of experience in organising exhibitions to the very highest international standards. Index, The Big 5, The Office Exhibition and The Hotel Show are all leaders in their respective market sectors.

One of the largest exhibition and publishing companies in the world, the dmg world media group of companies produces more than 300 market-leading trade exhibitions, consumer shows and fairs each year. It also publishes 60 related magazines, newspapers, directories and market reports.

The company employs over 800 people in its worldwide network of 38 offices in the USA, UK, Canada, Brazil, France, China, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. dmg world media is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT), one of the largest and most successful media companies in the world.