Ambitious Abu Dhabi upgrades airport services to suit grand visionNobody, but nobody likes playing second fiddle. For decades the United Arab Emirate of Abu Dhabi has effectively done just that, living in the shadow of its smaller noisy neighbour Dubai, but not for much longer. This oil-rich city has a grand 30-year plan to become one of the leading tourist destinations in the Middle East and has the petro-dollars to make it happen.
A world-class airport is an important part of the government’s carefully thought-out plans and a $6.8bn expansion programme is already underway. In February 2009 a new terminal opened dedicated to fast-growing national carrier Etihad. The airline’s rapid expansion in the past six years since its launch has bought a flood of wealthy travellers to the airport from all over the world, many of whom are transiting between Europe and Asia.
Consequently, the array of stores in the new Terminal 3 (T3) is very much targeted at these well-heeled customers. The luxury retail offer will bring a smile to the face of the most discerning of brand-conscious shoppers. The illustrious line up of over 70 fashion, beauty and accessory brands includes the first Jimmy Choo airport store anywhere, and the first Hermes outlet to open in the Middle East. It’s an impressively (and unashamedly) upmarket retail offer run by DFS Group, a company synonymous with luxury and excellent customer service, which controls airport duty-free shops all over Asia, Australasia and North America. Shop staff are multi-lingual, and there’s even a personal shopper service available (see http://www.dfsgalleria.com/en/abu-dhabi/client-services for more details).
If you are on the look out for a truly original gift, there are also some exclusive products stocked in T3 such as Emporio Armani’s latest fragrance, Emporio Armani Diamonds, which can’t be found anywhere else in the region. You’ll also find a new limited-edition Python Heloise handbag from fashion label Chloé. Priced at almost $5,000 each, only 50 of the pink python and calfskin bags have been made, and 20% of all profits will be given to a children’s charity, The Smile Train.
Of course, there are plenty of other leading luxury goods names with a presence in the terminal too such as Cartier, Bvlgari, Rolex, Polo Ralph Lauren, Montblanc, Givenchy and Swarovksi. It’s worth noting that many of these brands are also available in the airport’s other two terminals, T1 and T2, which are also due for a retail refit in the near future.As seasoned travellers to the Middle East will know, gold is always a good buy and a local retailer Pure Gold runs the jewellery shops in all three of the airports’ terminals. Prices are keen and the range is extensive.
For a Muslim country, you might be surprised to learn that the duty-free liquor offer at Abu Dhabi airport is excellent, a result of the large amount of foreign ex-pat workers residing in the Emirate. In-bound allowances are generous (4 litres of spirits and 24 cans of beer) and customers can find some collectable super-premium malt whiskies such as Highland Park 30 Year Old and The Glenlivet 25 Year Old.
Smokers are treated decently too• browse the excellent walk-in humidor in DFS’ new T3 shop if you are fan of Cuban cigars, for instance. Also note that British American Tobacco are sponsors of a well-furnished smokers’ lounge in the new terminal, a world away from the shabby way most other airports worldwide treat their smoking passengers, crowding them into dirty, congested smoking areas or banning them from smoking completely.
Nowhere is perfect of course and T3 arguably suffers from a lack of mid-priced fashion and beauty brands, and there’s virtually nothing for children apart from cheap chocolate. There is also a dearth of decent places to stop for a drink or something to eat• a café, a Lebanese restaurant and a Burger King hardly offer a great range to choose from.These are minor grumbles though. The shopping at Abu Dhabi airport is top notch for a medium-sized airport and well worth a look as the downtown shopping scene is much more limited than in neighbouring Dubai.
Factfile: Abu Dhabi airport
Passenger traffic 2008: 9.02m
Opened: 1968
Destinations served: 90
Forecasted retail sales (2010): $225m
Links
http://www.abudhabiairport.ae/index.asp
