The ‘Hamad Teddy’ in the central foyer of Hamad International Airport’s duty free area.

Qatar Airways’ home airport has just expanded to enhance its connections and further diversify an already exceptional shopping offer. 

Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha celebrated a decade of operation in 2024, having opened six years later than expected in April 2014.

Since then, the Qatar Airways Group hub has grown to become one of the 40 best connected air gateways in the world, according to the latest Megahubs 2024 report from aviation analyst OAG – and a duty free and travel retailing powerhouse.

In those 10 years, state- owned DOH has been on a steep growth trajectory. Last year it achieved a significant milestone by exceeding 50 million passengers to reach 52.7 million, a 15% increase year-on-year.

Hamad International: An incredible 10-year journey on-year.

Like competing Middle East carriers known for their high-end services, Qatar Airways operates a hub-and-spoke model that brings huge numbers of connecting passengers through the airport. The airline has a dominant role, accounting for almost 80% of all flights through DOH.

It is managed and operated by Qatar Company for Airports Operations & Management (MATAR) by virtue of a management agreement signed between MATAR and Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA).

For comparison, Emirates only has a 38% share of flights at Dubai International (DXB), and Etihad a 55% share at Zayed International in Abu Dhabi. With often quite long layovers, travellers can take advantage of the vast shopping footprint at DOH, to the benefit of the operator Qatar Duty Free (QDF). The 100% subsidiary of state-owned Qatar Airways has more than 200 retail and food and beverage (F&B) outlets covering some 40,000sq m.

Billion dollar duty free sales

This year, QDF is celebrating its 25th anniversary having also operated at the original Doha International Airport (DIA), now largely unused since DOH opened.

In the latest annual report from Qatar Airways for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2025, revenue from ‘duty-free goods and beverages’ hit QAR3.56 billion ($977.2 million), up from QAR3.14 billion ($862.4 million) the prior fiscal year.

These figures are notexact equivalents of QDF’s revenue [but come close- Ed]. Based on the above numbers, growth of ‘duty-free goods and beverages’ came in at more than 13%, whereas Qatar Airways has reported QDF delivering a 12% increase in sales turnover year-on-year in the 2024/25 fiscal year having processed over 15 million individual transactions.

DOH now boasts 32,889sq m of retail and F&B space. Credit: Kevin Rozario.

DOH’s rising passenger numbers will have been crucial in enabling the duty free sales  lift. Hamad Ali Al-Khater, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport, said: “Our record-breaking achievements underscore our vision of establishing Qatar as a premier global hub for connectivity, commerce, and tourism. November and December 2024 witnessed point-to- point passenger volumes surpassing those during the FIFA World Cup 2022, highlighting Doha’s rising prominence as a premier destination.”

 The airport has been unrelenting in strengthening its role as a global hub for airlines and passengers. According to airport industry body ACI Europe’s Airport Industry Connectivity Report 2024, Hamad International was the highest-ranked airport in the Middle East for connectivity. Globally it was in ninth place, while DXB was 11th. DOH’s connectivity rating was 45% ahead of pre-pandemic 2019 and only matched by Tokyo’s Haneda. The next closest airport was Istanbul, up by 37%.

Connectivity is key

The emphasis on connectivity is important for QDF.

Thanks to state ownership across the triumvirate of airline, airport and retailer, there is a highly coordinated and collaborative approach to development and expansion.

It can also be done at speed, a rarity in other parts of the world such as Europe where disparate forces tend to cause delays.

A good example is the build-out of new concourses D and E, which were completed in March ahead of schedule and boost DOH’s capacity to over 65 million passengers annually with more contact gates, some that are even self-boarding.

Above: The Al Mourjan Business Lounge – The Garden at DOH.

TRBusiness was on location recently  for a tour of the newly crowned concourses.

Qatar Airways Group CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “This is not just about increasing capacity, it is about strengthening the entire Qatar Airways network, enhancing Qatar Airways operational resilience, and supporting Qatar’s economic growth in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.”

That vision essentially establishes economic, human and social pillars for a prosperous future for Qatar while the new concourses specifically reinforce DOH’s position as a leading aviation hub. D and E join the original A, B and C concourses, which are set around Hamad’s now famous Orchard, a lush green central sanctuary, offering travellers a peaceful retreat with natural light, and calming water elements.

Most of the shopping is also situated here on two floors, with the lower level catering chiefly to mainstream shoppers and brands, and the upper level housing luxury labels like Dior, Chanel, Fendi, Hermès, Moncler and Omega; newly arrived Tom Ford and Zegna boutiques; as well as unique features like the first-of-its-kind Louis Vuitton Lounge by Michelin star-laden chef Yannick Alléno, and the two-level Dior Beauty Retreat (a large spa with treatment rooms).

“We’re not just aiming to be the best in name but also experience,” Thabet Musleh, Chief Retail and Hospitality Officer at Qatar Airways Group, told TRBusiness. “This means continuing to lead with concepts that no other airports have got.”

He added that a new data platform would also be coming that “is not just about shopping but storytelling” and that it would be a big part of the future offer. “We will create regardless of what they are spending.”

(Left) Thabet Musleh, Chief Retail and Hospitality Officer at Qatar Airways Group, and right, the Louis Vuitton Lounge (Photo: Yannick Alléno).

In the new concourses, what Musleh describes as “truly hybrid concepts” have also been opened.

One called ‘Last Call’ offers typical bestseller products coupled with a coffee shop, but crucially the passenger can pay for everything at a single till point.

“Putting a coffee shop in a retail space doesn’t make it hybrid. Hybrid for me is when you blend both and enable a single transaction,” said Musleh. “Last Call does it all.”

Another concept, ‘Work & Fly’ is a dedicated café workspace where passengers can have meetings, calls, or simply work at several powered stations and booths.

Some have ring lighting popularised by influencers for video calls that could end up on social media.

“We are fully engaged and motivated and fully bought in, in what we want to deliver and we are going full steam ahead. That’s what creates the gap between us and everyone else,” concluded Musleh.

This feature first appeared in the June/July Issue + Top 10 Airports Report edition of TRBusiness, available to view here

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