Dubai Duty Free Achieves Record Half-Year Sales, Surpassing AED4.1 Billion in H1 2025
Dubai, The Gulf Observer: Dubai Duty Free has announced a record-breaking performance for the first six months of 2025, posting a 5.34 percent year-on-year increase in sales. The airport retailer’s turnover reached AED4.118 billion (US$1.128 billion), exceeding the previous half-year record by AED208.95 million (US$57.24 million).
The remarkable growth was attributed to strong sales in April, May, and the first half of June, driven by a surge in travel during the Eid holiday and the early summer season.
Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, expressed satisfaction with the performance, stating, “We are very pleased with our record performance for the first half of 2025. Whilst we await the final passenger numbers for June 2025, the spend per passenger is likely to be better than last year June. This performance is a testament to our team’s hard work and the strength of Dubai as a global travel hub.”
Looking ahead, Dubai Duty Free is optimistic about maintaining momentum in the second half of the year, particularly with the upcoming opening of three luxury boutiques — Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Cartier — in Terminal 3 Concourse A.
Perfumes, Liquor, Cigarettes & Tobacco, Gold, and Confectionery remained the top five performing categories. Perfume sales led the chart at AED744.24 million (US$203.90 million), representing 18 percent of total revenue and a 5 percent year-on-year increase. Liquor followed with AED513.37 million (US$140.65 million), while Cigarettes & Tobacco sales rose by 12.24 percent to AED439.91 million (US$120.52 million).
Gold generated AED416.90 million (US$114.22 million), marking a 6.14 percent increase and contributing 10.12 percent to overall revenue. Confectionery saw a substantial surge of 62.70 percent, recording AED412.52 million (US$113.02 million), and also accounting for 10 percent of total sales.
Cosmetics sales also showed healthy growth, rising 3.36 percent to AED201.51 million (US$55.21 million), contributing 4.89 percent to total revenue.
Terminal-wise performance showed upward trends, with sales in Terminal 3 increasing by 6.37 percent and Terminal 1 up by 5.25 percent.
Sales across all key passenger regions recorded positive growth, with Europe leading at 16.89 percent, followed by the Middle East at 8.15 percent, the Russian region at 4.41 percent, and the Indian subcontinent at 1.02 percent.
Dubai Duty Free’s strong H1 results underscore both the resilience of the travel retail sector and Dubai’s continued position as a leading global travel and commerce hub.
