Abu Dhabi International Airport's passenger numbers grew by 18.9 per cent, bringing 14.7 million passengers through the airport. Jaime Puebla / The National
Abu Dhabi International Airport's passenger numbers grew by 18.9 per cent, bringing 14.7 million passengers through the airport. Jaime Puebla / The National

Abu Dhabi Duty Free purchases soar to record



Passengers passing through Abu Dhabi airports last year spent a record Dh809.5 million (US$220.3m) on gifts, cigarettes, perfume and many other Duty Free items, it was revealed yesterday.

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) said that Duty Free revenues increased by a staggering 24 per cent last year compared with 2011, setting a new record for the company.

The company said this was partly driven by a big increase in passenger numbers. Last year, the airport's numbers grew by 18.9 per cent with 14.7 million passengers.

ADAC added that it expected Duty Free revenues to more than double to reach Dh1.5 billion by 2017, when the new Abu Dhabi Midfield terminal is scheduled to open, boosting capacity to 20 million passengers a year.

Speaking at the opening of Trinity Forum 2013, the airport commercial revenues conference, Mohammed Al Bulooki, the ADAC chief commercial officer, said that the figures also showed both passengers buying more expensive items in Duty Free than they had the previous year and buying more items in total.

Mr Al Bulooki told the 300 delegates at the conference that new airport projects set to be completed this year included a new Armani store, while Burberry planned to double the size of its airport concession.

The news follows Dubai Duty Free's announcement last month that it made Dh5.9bn in revenues last year.

It said sales included 23,000 iPads, two tonnes of gold and more than two million bottles of perfume as the 57 million passengers passing through Dubai International lifted sales to an all-time high.

These generated almost Dh1.5bn in profits last year, more than that of retail brands such as Harrods and Selfridges.

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Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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.
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Biog

Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

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Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business

 

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The specs
 
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Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
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Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia

UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri

The biog

Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball

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Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces

 

  • Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
  • Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
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Teaching your child to save

Pre-school (three - five years)

You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.

Early childhood (six - eight years)

Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.

Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)

Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.

Young teens (12 - 14 years)

Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.

Teenage (15 - 18 years)

Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.

Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)

Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.

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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

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Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

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Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley

Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal

The Undertaker beat Goldberg

 

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Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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England 2
Cahill (3'), Kane (39')

Nigeria 1
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
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SPECS
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On sale: Now