Dubai Duty-Free Seeks Retail Partners for DWC Airport Expansion 2025
Dubai Duty-Free announces record Dh7.9B sales for 2024 and opens partnership opportunities for Al Maktoum International Airport retail operations.
By Vadim Kouznetsov, published
Dubai Duty-Free (DDF) announced Thursday its initiative to establish strategic partnerships, marking a significant step in its retail expansion plans at Dubai’s airports. This announcement comes alongside the organisation’s record-breaking sales of Dh7.901 billion for 2024.
Strategic Growth Initiative
The retail giant, which manages operations at both Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), is actively seeking collaborations to strengthen its market position. This strategic move aligns with the development plans for the new Al Maktoum International Airport (AMIA).
Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of DDF, highlighted the timing of this initiative: “This development presents an excellent opportunity for our business, considering the substantial increase in passenger numbers at DXB and the projected growth as we transition to AMIA.”
Digital Innovation and Customer Experience
DDF’s commitment to innovation is evident in its recent partnership with TerraPay, a global money movement company. This collaboration will benefit over 100 million customers, enabling travellers to use their home-country wallets for purchases at Dubai Duty-Free outlets.
TerraPay’s extensive network spans:
- 30+ regulated markets
- 150+ receiving countries
- 210 sending countries
- 3.7 billion mobile wallets
- 7.5 billion bank accounts
- 12+ billion cards
Record-Breaking Performance
The company’s 2024 performance statistics showcase its market strength:
- 20.733 million sales transactions
- 56,649 average daily transactions
- 55.137 million units of merchandise sold
- 13.7 million customers served in Arrivals and Departures stores
According to the Moodie Davitt Report, DDF achieved sales of $1.94 billion in the first 11 months of 2024, building on its impressive 2023 performance of $2.16 billion.
The initiative to explore partnerships represents DDF’s forward-thinking approach to retail excellence and customer satisfaction in Dubai’s aviation retail sector.
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