The duty-free industry in Abu Dhabi and Dubai is expected to grow again next year after weathering the global economic downturn this year.
Figures from Abu Dhabi Duty Free yesterday revealed that it was aiming for 18 per cent sales growth next year, up from a record Dh500 million (US$136.1m) this year.
Dubai Duty Free (DDF) is expecting growth of about 7 per cent on its $1.14 billion sales this year. Sales at Abu Dhabi International Airport climbed 12.7 per cent this year from last year.
Huraiz Almur bin Huraiz, the chief commercial officer for Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), said a major factor was the opening of Terminal 3 this year, which has added 2,600 square metres of retail space.
"We have made a number of changes since 2008, such as transitioning from an in-house operation to a partnership with [transport solutions firm] DFS, as well as opening a number of new boutiques such as the new luxury brands in T3," Mr bin Huraiz said.
Duty-free sales have deteriorated globally as people scale back travel plans and are more cautious with spending. But the Middle East has been one of the few regions with sales and passenger traffic rising.
Global travel retail sales in the first half of this year, the most recent figures available, dropped by 7.4 per cent to $19.9bn, data from Generation Research in Sweden showed. But in Abu Dhabi, as traffic grew by 7.5 per cent, duty free sales rose 12.7 per cent, with the average traveller spending 5.5 per cent more than last year.
Travel retail sales in Dubai this year are expected to grow by up to 4 per cent, said George Horan, the deputy managing director of DDF. But the average passenger in Dubai spent 8 per cent less this year.
Next year, Mr Horan expects sales at DDF, which was the number one duty-free retailer in the world last year, to increase between 6 per cent and 8 per cent due to predicted passenger growth at Dubai International Airport.
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
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