Dubai Dury Free is heading into the final quarter of the year, setting a new monthly record in September, with sales reaching AED 671.79 million (US$184 million). This new record was fueled by a strong surge in demand for luxury goods, electronics, and confectionery.
This milestone eclipses the previous September record of AED600 million (US$165 million) set in 2024, marking an impressive AED71.29 million (US$19.53 million) increase or 11.87% year-on-year growth and securing the highest September sales in the company’s history.
September now ranks as a top 10 ever month for Dubai Duty Free, contributing to a remarkable series of monthly records already achieved in January, February, April, May, July and August.
The sales growth of 11.87% was achieved against passenger growth of around 4.2% (the final passenger numbers for September will only be released by Dubai Airport later this month). This means sales growth outperformed passenger growth by about 7.6%.
Commenting on the performance, Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free said: “September’s record sales is a significant moment for Dubai Duty Free and a testament to the incredible efforts of our team and the loyalty of our customers. Achieving AED672 million in a single month and outperforming passenger growth highlights the strength of our retail offering, and we remain committed to continuously enhancing the customer experience.”
For the year to date, sales are up 7.45% at AED6.075 billion (US$1.664 billion) or an increase of AED421 million (US$115 million) over last year.
Category Highlights
The sales were strong across several important categories including Confectionery (up 57.7%), Fashion boutiques (up 21.5%), Tobacco (up 6.9%), Perfumes (up 5%), Gold (up 21.9%), Electronics (up 10%), Millennium Millionaire (up 20.5%), Finest Surprise (up 32.9%), Watches (up 5.1%), Liquor (up 2.3%) and Precious Jewellery (up 3.8%). Dubai Chocolate also contributed AED27 million (US$7.4 million) in sales with 350,000 pieces sold in September. Including confectionery, the Top 10 categories were up 12.1% and excluding confectionery they were up 8.2%.
Luxury Leads the Way
High-end fashion was the leading category in September. The newly opened Louis Vuitton boutique in Terminal 3, Concourse A, launched on 4th September and contributed 36% to overall Fashion revenues in Concourse A. Adding to the luxury momentum, a new Cartier boutique opened on 25th September in the same concourse, underlining strong demand for premium brands among global travelers.
Tech Takes Off
Tech-savvy travelers fueled a spike in electronics, notably following the 19th September launch of the Apple iPhone 17. Despite limited supply, the launch drove AED9.7 million (US$2.7 million) in sales over just 12 days, contributing to a 10% rise in the electronics category.
Golden gains
Gold sales soared by 21.9% compared to the same month last year, reflecting both strong demand and rising global prices. The price of gold increased from around US$2,700 per ounce in September 2024 to approximately US$3,700 per ounce in September 2025, helping drive exceptional category performance.
Sustainable Luxury Gains Ground
Dubai Duty Free’s pre-loved luxury boutique, REKLAIM continues to attract interest from brand-conscious luxury shoppers. In September, REKLAIM generated AED 3.5 million (US$1 million) in sales. A standout transaction included the sale of a Patek Philippe watch for AED253,386 (US$69,420) in Concourse D.
Sales across all the major regions were also positive: Africa increased by 14.85%, Europe by 17.85%, the Indian Sub-continent by 12.75%, the Americas by 16.1%, the Russian region by 7%, and the Middle East by 4.3% (despite a 3.8% decline in KSA). The Far East grew by 12.3% (with China up 11.3%) and Australasia rose by 12.6%.