Dubai Duty Free results: Dh744.24m in perfume sales, Dh416.90m worth of gold
Record Dh4.1 billion in half-year sales shows how travel retail is bouncing back, fast
Dubai: If you felt like airport queues were longer and shopping bags heavier during your last trip through Dubai International, you weren’t imagining things. Travellers are not only passing through in record numbers — they’re spending more than ever.
Dubai Duty Free, the world-renowned airport retailer, posted its highest-ever first-half sales, hitting Dh4.118 billion (US$1.128 billion) from January to June 2025. That’s a 5.34% year-on-year jump, exceeding the previous record by Dh208.95 million (US$57.24 million).
And it’s not just more people flying — spend per passenger is up too, especially during peak periods like Eid and the early summer break, according to the company.
What are travellers buying most?
From perfumes to chocolates, here’s where travellers are opening their wallets:
Perfumes: Still No.1, with sales hitting Dh744.24 million, accounting for 18% of all revenue.
Liquor: Dh513.37 million, a steady performer among outbound passengers.
Cigarettes & Tobacco: Surprisingly strong, up 12.24% year-on-year to Dh439.91 million.
Gold: With Dubai’s historic edge in jewellery, gold sales rose 6.14% to Dh416.90 million.
Confectionery: The surprise star, with a 62.7% increase — reaching Dh412.52 million, showing that chocolate and candy are still irresistible, especially for families.
Cosmetics: Rose modestly to Dh201.51 million, contributing nearly 5% of revenue.
Where the growth is coming from
Sales grew across all three major airport terminals, with Terminal 3 leading the pack (up 6.37%), followed by Terminal 1 (up 5.25%).
That lines up with rising long-haul traffic from Europe, where duty free sales jumped 16.89%, and strong performance from the Middle East (+8.15%), Russia (+4.41%), and the Indian Subcontinent (+1.02%).
What’s driving this shopping spree?
According to Dubai Duty Free Managing Director Ramesh Cidambi, strong passenger traffic is only one part of the story. The real kicker? People are simply spending more per visit — likely a mix of post-pandemic travel excitement, luxury indulgence, and smart duty-free value-seeking.
“We are very pleased with our record performance for the first half of 2025,” said Cidambi. “The spend per passenger is likely to be better than last year. This performance is a testament to our team’s hard work and the strength of Dubai as a global travel hub.”
What’s next: High-end luxury and more
As the second half of the year kicks in — typically a shopping-heavy period with back-to-school, Diwali, and year-end travel — Dubai Duty Free is preparing to welcome even more high-end spenders.
New luxury boutiques from Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Cartier are set to open in Terminal 3 Concourse A, signalling confidence in ultra-premium travel retail.
The company also recently completed renovations on three of its Arrivals Shops, improving shopping experiences for inbound travellers — a key segment often overlooked in duty free retail.
Bottom line? Travellers surge, and they’re buying more
From big-name perfumes to last-minute chocolates, airport shopping in Dubai is booming again. And if the first half of 2025 is anything to go by, this may be the biggest duty free year yet.
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