Dubai Duty Free achieved a new monthly record in August, with sales of Dhs646.23 million (approximately US$177 million). This accomplishment represents a roughly 10% rise over the operator’s previous milestone of Dhs588.13 million (US$161 million), which was attained in August 2018.
August 2025 sales were 15% higher than those in August 2023, which totalled Dhs561.53 million (US$153.84 million). Over the course of the month, sales averaged roughly Dhs20.8 million (US$5.70 million) each day, while passengers projected that they would travel about 275,000 per day.
It is an excellent sales achievement and August’s record adds to the impressive streak of records set earlier this year in January, February, April, May, and July,” said Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, in response to the result.
Dubai Duty Free reported a sharp rise in sales per passenger in August, with spending climbing by nearly US$4 per departing traveler and penetration rates increasing by more than half a percentage point compared to the same month last year.
On the back of this strong performance, year-to-date (YTD) sales have reached Dhs 5.4 billion (US$1.48 billion), representing a 6.93% increase from 2023. The figures underscore the success of the retailer’s broad product mix and its focus on delivering a premium shopping experience at Dubai International Airport.
Most major categories posted solid growth, with Confectionery leading the surge at 68.90%. Gold followed with a 28.55% rise, while Perfumes gained 13.13% and Cigarettes & Tobacco grew by 11.05%. Other notable increases included Millennium Millionaire ticket sales (up 33.70%), Precious Jewellery (24.17%), Watches (17.70%), Cosmetics (8.91%), Liquor (nearly 3%), and Electronics (2.34%).
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