Dubai International Airport • Going for GoldAmong the global hubs you’re likely to visit, few are as consistent as this one in getting passengers to splash the cash.
And top of the shopping list is gold
The Middle East is the place to shop for jewellery • gold in particular. The local souks, and modern malls in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are awash with jewellery, watches and gold retailers. Chains of different carats can be bought by the metre, the same way you might by rope from a ships chandler. The fascination here is with yellow gold, which is purer, while western tastes lean towards the whiter versions. Whatever your preference, it’s all here, and if you don’t find what you want downtown you can pick it up at the airport, where gold sales are soaring. Last year, Dubai Duty Free (DDF), the sole retailer at Dubai International, clocked up more than $120m in sales of the precious metal.
But there are other categories to tempt you, and temptation is something Dubai Duty Free does very well. In 2008 it broke the $1bn barrier in retail sales from a floor of 7,000sq m, thanks to a team of 3,700 staff that keep the shops open 24 hours a day. Passengers are lured by the wide variety of fragrances that are available here and exclusive launches often take place at this hub, several weeks before they can be found in the local UAE market or even the region. This is also the place to shop for traditional Arabic oudh (oil-based) fragrances; some easily out-doing popular western scents such as Chanel No5 on price.Liquor, too, is sought after in Dubai Duty Free’s shops. For an Islamic federation of states it might seem odd to see so much liquor available at the airport, but because of the huge numbers of people transferring here from all over the world and all backgrounds, alcoholic drinks are in high demand • and relatively cheap compared to other airport stores. Other merchandise includes electronics, cosmetics, luxury goods, sports equipment • about 70 golf clubs are sold every month, designer clothes, children’s toys and books all in dedicated areas.
The layout of the main duty-free area at the international Terminal 1 is like a very large department store and consists of two islands; one for gold, gems and pearls, the other for upmarket pens, lighters and watches (DDF is one of the few airport retailers that sells Rolex), around which are five large ‘stores’. Two sell the usual liquor and tobacco assortments • including Casa de Habano which offers an impressive selection of Cuban cigars, one is for perfumes and cosmetics, another for electronics, and the last one is for fashion sports and gifts, including crystal from Waterford, Swarovski, Wedgwood, Royal Doulton and Christofle. There are also large kiosks for DDF’s now world famous raffles for luxury cars ($139 a ticket) and its newest promotion, Multi Millionaire where you can win $5m if you are willing to part with $1,360 for a ticket! Last October, Dubai International doubled its retail space from 7,000sq m to 15,000sq m with the inauguration of the new and much lauded Emirates Terminal 3, which largely replicates the T1 offer but in newer facilities.
Dubai International Airport Factfile
Passengers 37.4 million in 2008
Terminals 3 plus an executive terminal for private jets
Main retail areas Concourse 1 of T1, concourse 2 which is connected to T3, as well as T3 itself
Hub airlines Emirates (which has exclusivity at T3), flydubai
