"Dubai is becoming a major centre in the diamond world," said Jamsheer, adding the $15 million tender, which closed on January 26, was "of great significance" to Dubai's ambitions despite its small size.
Freddy Hanard, a regional manager ABN Amro's diamond section, said there had been "big appetite" for the tender from international diamond companies.
"It was an important first step for Dubai," he said by telephone from Antwerp. But he said Dubai must achieve "critical mass in the size and number of players" if DDE is to succeed.
ABN Amro provided banking services on the tender, which drew 30 firms. About 45,000 carats were sold at an average carat price of more than $300 - 90 percent of the diamonds offered.
It was DDE's second tender, after Russian group Kristall sold $2 million in cut diamonds to Dubai jewellers in December 2004.
Peter Meeus, head of the Diamond High Council, has said Antwerp was worried about the emergence of Dubai as a rival after the emirate exported $1 billion worth of uncut diamonds to Antwerp in 2004, up 750 percent from two years earlier.
DDE is part of Dubai Metals and Commodities Centre (DMCC), a state initiative to establish Dubai as a global hub for trading physical and paper diamonds, gold, energy and soft commodities.
Dubai, part of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, is already a regional gold hub with about 10 percent of the world's trade.
The emirate, the Gulf's trade and tourism centre, is striving to diversify its economy to compensate for its falling revenues from dwindling oil output.
Jamsheer said diamond companies such as Kristall and India's Rosy Blue had joined DDE to position themselves in Dubai.
"Now you don't have to go to Africa, you can stop in Dubai ..." she said.
Dubai has been a hub for rough diamond trade for many years, but the trade was largely unregulated until DMCC opened in 2002. Since then, Dubai has joined the Kimberley Process in a bid to stop the flow of conflict diamonds through the emirate.
Jamsheer declined to comment on DED's relationship with Israel's diamond industry. The UAE, a member of the Arab League, does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
But Hanard said links between the two were growing.