Abu Dhabi Duty Free H1 Revenues Outpace Passenger Growth

Abu Dhabi Duty Free (ADDF) sales increased by Dhs108 million to reach Dhs437.6 million in the first half of this year, up 17.4 per cent from last year.

The growth in revenue is attributed largely to a rise in spend per passenger (SPP) which increased from Dhs53.96 in 2012 to Dhs55.10 this year, a 2.1 per cent year-on-year growth.

The revenue growth of ADDF exceeded the 12.6 per cent rise in passenger traffic registered in the Abu Dhabi international airport during the first half of this year.

“With 70 per cent of all passengers using Abu Dhabi International Airport for transfer, Abu Dhabi Airports is committed to further capturing the potential of this market by partnering with additional leading brands and retailers,” said Mohammed Abdullah Al Bulooki, chief commercial officer of Abu Dhabi Airport.

Currently the retail space in Abu Dhabi airport boasts of luxury brands like Emporio Armani, Burberry store, Jimmy Choo, Hermes, Bvlgari, and Pure Gold.

The Midfield Terminal Complex (MTC), currently under construction in Abu Dhabi and soon to be the new home of ADDF, has been designed to cater to over 30 million passengers a year and will provide a space of 28,000 square metres for duty free shopping, dining, relaxation and entertainment.

Al Bulooki said that the new midfield terminal is looking to partner with more global retail brands in order to diversify the shopping experience for the passengers.

MTC has also been designed to accommodate a high-speed rail link and a metro connection in the future and will become the home of Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways.

Abu Dhabi airport has emerged in the past two years as a significant competitor to the neighbouring Dubai airport whose duty free retail sales touched $874 million in the first half of this year.