Dubai Duty Free reported record-breaking annual sales of AED 7.9B ($2.16B) in 2024, driven by strong performance towards year-end. December sales reached AED 821.9M ($225.2M), a 2% rise from December 2023, boosted by the 41st-anniversary promotion offering a 25% discount on 20 December, generating AED 60M ($16.4M) in a single day.
November also showed robust results, with confectionery leading December’s categories, up 29.46% year-on-year. Managing Director Ramesh Cidambi credited the team’s efforts, stating: “Despite major renovations, we exceeded expectations, thanks to the support of our Chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and our staff.”
Dubai Duty Free completed over 20.7M transactions, selling 55.1M units to an estimated 13.7M customers. Perfumes led sales at AED 1.5B ($411M), representing 19% of total revenue, followed by liquor at AED 1.05B ($289M) and cigarettes and tobacco at AED 807M ($221M). Gold and electronics rounded out the top five, with AED 779M ($213M) and AED 546M ($149M), respectively.
Online sales contributed AED 197M ($54M), or 2.5% of total revenue. Departures accounted for AED 7.1B ($1.95B), 90% of sales, while Arrivals reached AED 537M ($147M), declining 12.21% year-on-year.
The workforce grew to 6,030 employees from 54 nationalities. Cidambi highlighted recruitment and renovations, including updates to Arrivals shops in early 2025, and plans for Concourse A and B renovations through 2026, aiming to enhance customer experience.
