Dubai Duty Free marked its 42nd anniversary with one of the strongest trading days in its history, recording sales of AED 69.1 million ($19 million) within 24 hours on 20 December, driven by its annual 25% anniversary discount.
The result represented a 15.18% year-on-year increase, equivalent to AED 9.1 million, compared with the same date in 2024. It also ranked as the retailer’s second-highest single-day sales performance, falling just AED 351,000 short of its all-time record.
Dubai Duty Free anniversary sales surge
Sales momentum remained firm across both airports. At Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3 once again led overall performance. Meanwhile, Concourse D in Terminal 1 generated AED 13.6 million in sales, reflecting a 9.14% annual increase. At Al Maktoum International Airport, sales reached AED 1.07 million, marking a 50% rise compared with the previous anniversary day.
The anniversary milestone capped a strong year for the retailer. In November 2025, Dubai Duty Free recorded its highest-ever monthly sales of AED 876.6 million. Subsequently, cumulative sales exceeded AED 8 billion on 9 December.
Perfumes lead top-selling categories
Perfumes remained the leading category on the anniversary day, generating AED 17.5 million in sales, up 14.73% year on year. At the same time, Millennium Millionaire and Finest Surprise promotions contributed AED 11 million in ticket sales, supported by a record 13,589 online transactions. Watches followed with AED 7.67 million in sales, representing a 42.88% increase, alongside strong demand for liquor and cosmetics.
Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, said the retailer benefited from strong passenger engagement during one of the busiest travel days of the year. He noted that 95,784 transactions were recorded, compared with 93,251 on the same day last year, while total sales were more than double the pre-anniversary daily average for December.
First introduced in 2003 to mark Dubai Duty Free’s 20th anniversary, the annual promotion has since become a fixed feature of the travel calendar, with many passengers planning journeys around 20 December to benefit from the limited-time discount.
