Dubai Duty Free increased its annual sales in 2022 by 78 per cent to reach Dh6.34 billion ($1.73 billion), beating its own forecast, amid a surge in passenger traffic through the world's busiest international airport.
The airport retailer exceeded its annual sales forecast of Dh5.1 billion ($1.4 billion) for last year, signalling a strong recovery of its operations following two challenging years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are thrilled to announce such a positive year as travel returns, during which the operation went from strength to strength,” Colm McLoughlin, executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free, said in a statement on Monday.
The increase in sales came as passenger traffic through Dubai International Airport recovered strongly from the effects of the pandemic that hammered global demand for air travel.
Dubai Airports expects 64.3 million passengers travelled through Dubai International Airport in 2022, about 3 per cent more than its last annual forecast in August of 62.4 million passengers, after a strong third quarter and expectations of surging volumes in the last three months of the year.
To keep up with the growth of its operations, Dubai Duty Free continued rehiring and recruiting staff last year with the total employee count now at 4,663, up from 4,000 employees in January 2022.
Last year, the airport retailer recorded more than 17.3 million sales transactions throughout the year, or an average of 46,912 sales deals per day, the statement said. It sold 47.302 million units of merchandise.
Perfumes were the best-selling items again in 2022 with sales of Dh1.13 billion, accounting for 18 per cent of total sales.
Sales of liquor, gold, cigarettes, tobacco and electronics followed.
Liquor sales reached Dh1.021 billion and accounted for 16 per cent of total annual sales. Gold recorded sales of Dh629.29 million and contributed 10 per cent towards total revenue.
Cigarettes and tobacco came in fourth place with sales amounting to Dh562.35 million, accounting for 9 per cent of total revenue, while electronics came in fifth place, with sales of Dh502.20 million, or 8 per cent of total annual sales.
Online sales accounted for 2.54 per cent of the overall sales tally for 2022, reaching Dh161.2 million.
Sales in the airport departures area across the operation totalled Dh5.57 billion, representing 88 per cent of total annual revenue.
Passenger arrival sales totalled Dh573.38 million, accounting for 9 per cent of total annual sales.
“Looking ahead, Dubai Duty Free will continue to maintain its busy events and promotional calendar which includes the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships,” it said.
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
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LILO & STITCH
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Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
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 specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
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On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
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CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20QUALIFIER%2C%20ZIMBABWE%20
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THREE
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