Dubai Duty Free has posted a near 42-year all-time high for sales in October, underpinned by strong revenue from gold, amid the Indian festival of Diwali and record sales of Dubai chocolate.
Sales of the precious metal, considered both a luxury and cultural purchase among Indians, hit Dh97.2 million ($26.5 million) in the month, despite the rapid rise in its price, the airport retailer said in a statement on Saturday.
Gold exceeded the $4,000 mark for the first time last month, eventually hitting a record on October 20. Prices have since cooled down.
Perfumes remained the top category with nearly Dh140 million in sales, followed by liquor at Dh96.7 million and confectionery's record Dh78 million, driven by Dubai chocolate, which has enjoyed a considerable reputation built by viral marketing.
The famed confection hit its own high as it sold about 428,000 units to rake in sales of Dh34 million, Dubai Duty Free said.
The luxury category also led in sales, which jumped 43.5 per cent annually, led by high-end brands Cartier, Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton remain strong contributors.
Those helped the company post October sales of Dh805.6 million, its best month and an eighth record month so far in 2025.
Ten-month sales hit Dh6.88 billion, an 8.7 per cent annual rise, putting Dubai Duty Free on pace to beat its yearly all-time high of Dh7.9 billion in 2024.
Dubai Duty Free's performance has shown it has been “meeting the needs of an ever-increasing number of passengers”, said managing director Ramesh Cidambi, who succeeded Colm McLoughlin in June 2024. Mr McLoughlin died aged 81 the following October.
The UAE has invested heavily in technology to speed up the flow of passengers at its airports, eased its visa policies and is expected to benefit from the unified Gulf tourist visa that allows travellers to visit countries in the six-nation bloc with a single visa.
The Emirates is expected to host 27.6 million international visitors this year, up 4.6 per cent from last year, on the back of travel-friendly policies and infrastructure improvements, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
Inbound travellers are expected to spend $62.2 billion when they visit the country this year, up from $59.2 billion that overseas visitors spent last year, the London-based industry body said.
Dubai International Airport's Concourse A posted the highest sales growth with 27.4 per cent. Sales from arrivals grew 18.3 per cent despite competition within the airport, Dubai Duty Free said.
Dubai Duty Free, which will be marking its 42nd year on December 20, is also considering integrating cryptocurrency payments into its operations, Mr Cidambi had previously said.
