Dubai Duty Free's overall offer at Dubai International Airport has been voted 'Best Duty Free Shopping' in the world in the 2009 World Airport survey conducted by Skytrax. The UK-based consultancy group interviewed 8.6m

passengers at 196 airports on all aspects of their travel experience in the same survey that voted Incheon International Airport the overall Airport of the Year award (see below).

Dubai Duty Free came out tops in the best duty free shopping category, ahead of Singapore Changi Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol airport.

Commenting on the results of the Skytrax survey, Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free said: ‘Skytrax has a reputation for producing independent surveys that determine how well each airport performs across a range of services. We are obviously delighted to have been voted the best in the duty free category and thank all of those who have voted for our operation.’

The Skytrax survey was conducted over a 10-month period and interviewed over 95 different nationalities on more than 35 elements of their airport experience, from check-in, departures, transfers and through to arrivals.

The Skytrax award comes on the heels of other accolades received by Dubai Duty Free, which doubled its retail operation last October with the opening of Emirates Terminal 3. In January 2009, the operation received its second Global Traveller award for 'Best Duty Free Shops' from the New York based publisher, while in May the operation was named 'Best Duty Free in the Middle East' by Business Traveller ME and 'Middle East Travel Retailer' in the annual DFNI Asia Pacific awards.

In April, Colm McLoughlin received a personal award for a 'Lifetime Achievement in the Middle East Event Industry' presented at the Middle East Events award ceremony in Dubai.