Dubai Duty Free has achieved record annual sales after passing AED8bn ($2.18bn) for the first time in its 42-year history.
The threshold was crossed on December 9, triggered by the sale of a twin pack of Marlboro Lights purchased for AED371 ($101.90) by an Indian passenger travelling to Delhi.
The achievement caps a year of exceptional performance for the airport retailer, with nine out of the first eleven months of 2025 setting new monthly records.
November delivered the strongest result to date, generating all-time high sales of AED876.56m ($240.16m).
Dubai Duty Free
Marking the milestone at Terminal 3, Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, said: “It’s a momentous occasion to cross the AED8bn mark for the first-time ever in the company’s history.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank all of you who are working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – on the shopfloor and in the back office – to make these transactions happen and to drive the business to this level at year end.
“We are up 17.6 per cent compared to last December for the first nine days. The last few days have been fantastic, and we are up 9.8 per cent for the year, which is AED710m more than what we achieved last year – equivalent to one full month of sales.
“Our Chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum congratulated each and every member of the Dubai Duty Free team for the outstanding performance in November and looks forward to a strong finish for the year.”
The operator will celebrate its 42nd anniversary on December 20, marking the occasion with a 25 per cent discount across a wide range of products.
In November Dubai Duty Free recorded growth in both low-value and high-value transactions. Sales from transactions valued at less than AED500 increased by 1.35 per cent in number and 6.94 per cent in value, contributing 25 per cent of total sales.
Transactions above AED500 rose by 15.16 per cent in number and 20.54 per cent in value, accounting for the remaining 75 per cent.