The result makes January 2026 Dubai Duty Free’s third-highest sales month ever, behind only December and November 2025. The strongest trading day fell on 31 January, when sales reached AED35.6 million (US$9.76 million).

Importantly, sales growth once again outpaced passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport. While final passenger figures for the month are still to be released, Dubai Duty Free estimates that sales outperformed passenger growth by around 13.5%, pointing to higher spend per passenger across the operation.

“We are extremely pleased to begin 2026 with our strongest January performance ever, following a record-breaking 2025,” said Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director, Dubai Duty Free. “What is particularly encouraging is that sales growth has significantly outperformed passenger growth, demonstrating higher spend per passenger, strong demand across key categories and growth in all major geographical regions.

“I want to thank our Dubai Duty Free team for their hard work and commitment and for maintaining the strong momentum from last year in the month of January.”

Several core categories delivered standout growth during the month. Gold led the way with sales up 45.74% to AED104 million (US$28.55 million), while Fashion increased by 36.68% to nearly AED82 million (US$22.53 million). Electronics rose by 36.61% to AED65 million (US$17.74 million), and Precious Jewellery recorded the highest percentage growth, surging 69.51% to AED28 million (US$7.63 million).

Perfumes continued to perform strongly, growing 13.61% to AED147 million (US$40.29 million), while Confectionery climbed 15.35% to AED80.69 million (US$22.11 million). Watches were up 30.94% to AED33 million (US$9.10 million), Cosmetics increased 7.67% to AED40 million (US$10.97 million), and Delicatessen grew 8.36% to AED27.77 million (US$7.61 million).

Sales of Dubai Chocolate reached AED36 million (US$10 million).

Dubai Chocolate remained a standout sub-category, with sales reaching AED36 million (US$10 million) and volumes rising to 83 tonnes, compared with AED24 million (US$6.59 million) and 42 tonnes in January 2025.

Fashion boutiques delivered particularly strong results, with sales in Concourses A and B up 56%. Average daily sales reached a record AED3.4 million (US$931,500), while the average transaction value hit a new high of AED8,820 (US$2,416).

Luxury fashion boutiques delivered particularly strong results.

From a regional perspective, Europe and Russia led growth with increases of 35% and 36% respectively. Africa followed with growth of 29%, the Americas rose 22.5%, the Indian subcontinent increased 11%, the Far East grew 10.5% and the Middle East recorded a 5.3% uplift.

With a record-breaking January, strong category performances and rising passenger spend, Dubai Duty Free has set a confident tone for the year ahead and is well positioned to sustain growth through 2026.

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