With more countries in the Arab world increasingly embracing Valentines Day, the romance of the day is taking over the region in the most creative endeavors. Evolving attitudes towards Valentines have been attributed to several factors, such as the vibrant expatriate population and the growing acceptance that Valentines is a purely romantic celebration of love for all humankind, all cultures, all backgrounds, and all ages.

Ahmad Alsawaleh, Business Development Manager of the OBS Group explained: Love is universal, which means Valentines can no longer be seen as a predominantly Western celebration. After all, the worlds most famous romantic gift, the Taj Mahal, is not in the West. In the Middle East, people are expressing their appreciation and affection in very personalized, creative ways whether its students giving their teacher a chocolate hamper, or children surprising their parents with a thoughtful present, or chocolate boxes being exchanged between workmates, friends and, of course, couples.

Among the chocolate enthusiasts, more and more people have been enticed by the flavors of Prestats fine chocolates, due to the brands century-old pedigree and its status as Purveyor of Chocolates to Her Majesty The Queen of the United Kingdom and, the playful, colorful packaging that brings a quirkiness to classic heart shape boxes.

Elaborating on the most popular types of chocolates, Alsawaleh explained: Consumers in the Arab world are now just as style-savvy as their counterparts elsewhere if not more. Hence, they go for the most sophisticated brands, such as Prestat Chocolates Jewel Box, for the romantic jewels in their lives. Like the famous movie quote says: Life is a box of chocolates, and you never know what youre going to get. Then there are the large Heart Shaped boxes, with strong pink playfully decorated with gold swirls of melting chocolate and red hearts, designed by award-winning artist Kitty Arden. Two sizes are available with a careful selection of milk, dark, fruity, nutty, and classic fine chocolate pieces. We think of it as the best way to bribe your loved one into giving you even more love, for those of us who cannot get enough!

For those aiming for a more classic Valentine gift, Prestats Jewel Boxes is a beautiful alternative. Containing 49 of the favorite chocolates of Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses, Sultans and Maharajas, Presidents and Prime Ministers, its a fairytale way of showing your loved one that he or she is the ruler of your heart.

Then again, perhaps surprisingly to some, about 15% of people admit to sending themselves Valentines presents proving that although lovers celebrate their romance with chocolates, after heartbreak they still comfort themselves with chocolate presumably because it is less costly than therapy and does not require an appointment. A common saying among choco-connoisseurs is, I would give up chocolate, but Im not a quitter. Biochemically, chocolate has been proved to release feel-good endorphins similar to the sensation of being in love.