New Record: Daily Average Sales Reach 29.21 Million Dirhams
Total Sales for the First 11 Months Rise to 7.75 Billion Dirhams, Marking a 9.57% Increase
Dubai Duty Free has reported impressive monthly sales figures, achieving 876.56 million dirhams (240.16 million USD) in November 2025, which represents a 16.77% increase compared to November 2024. This marks the highest sales figure in the 42-year history of Dubai Duty Free, with a new daily sales average record set at 29.21 million dirhams (8 million USD), up from 26.51 million dirhams (7.26 million USD) in December 2024.
This stellar performance positions November 2025 as the leading month among nine record-breaking months this year, surpassing the previous monthly record of 821 million dirhams (225 million USD) set in December 2024.
Supporting Growth
In another significant achievement, total Dubai Duty Free sales surpassed two billion USD by mid-November, culminating in a sustained growth momentum throughout the year. On November 29, an impressive sales figure of 37.55 million dirhams (10.28 million USD) was recorded, marking the highest sales day of the year.
Year-to-date sales have reached 7.75 billion dirhams (2.13 billion USD), representing a 9.57% increase compared to the same period last year.
The sales growth rate has outpaced the travel passenger traffic growth, which is estimated at around 10%. (Dubai Airports will release final passenger numbers for November later this month). This indicates the effectiveness of market strategies aimed at increasing penetration rates (enticing more travelers to visit stores rather than pass by) and improving conversion rates (boosting the percentage of visitors who actually make purchases after entering the store), as well as increasing the overall transaction value.
A Key Milestone
Ramesh Cidambi, the CEO of Dubai Duty Free, stated, “November has marked a milestone in the 42-year journey of Dubai Duty Free, showcasing outstanding performance across all metrics by surpassing two billion USD in sales by November 15 and achieving a new record for the highest monthly sales ever. This significant achievement reinforces the market’s leading position in the travel retail sector and reflects its success in maintaining a high growth rate and impressive performance throughout the year.”
Additionally, Dubai Duty Free saw an increase in high-value transactions during November, with transactions under 500 dirhams rising by 1.35% in number and 6.94% in value, contributing to 25% of total sales. In contrast, transactions exceeding 500 dirhams grew by 15.16% in number and 20.54% in value, making up the remaining 75% of sales.
Top Sellers
Fragrances continue to lead the list of best-selling products, totaling 160.58 million dirhams (44 million USD) in November, up 13.29% due to the launch of new and exclusive fragrances.
Following fragrances, gold jewelry ranked second with sales of 87.67 million dirhams (24.02 million USD), reflecting a 16.68% increase. Furthermore, tobacco product sales reached 85.99 million dirhams (23.56 million USD), marking an 11.44% rise.
Sweets and confectionery achieved record sales, reaching 83.29 million dirhams (22.82 million USD) in November, an impressive 42.93% increase.
Dubai Chocolate sales amounted to 35.69 million dirhams (9.78 million USD), which corresponds to 80.59 tons from nine brands, accounting for 42.86% of total confectionery sales.
Electronics sales also grew by 13.60%, achieving 67.22 million dirhams (18.42 million USD), buoyed by record sales of the iPhone 17, which totaled 26.73 million dirhams (7.32 million USD) from 5,216 units sold.
Luxury fashion sales at Dubai Duty Free exhibited a notable 40% growth in November, with an average of 381 transactions per day in this category, while the average transaction value increased by 10.17%.