QATAR. Qatar Duty Free has partnered with The Moodie Davitt Report for a striking redesign of our desktop homepage, along with an elegantly curated treatment of our mobile website, as the retailer highlights its continued elevation of shopping and dining experiences at Hamad International Airport (HIA).

The makeover coincides with the release of our November Magazine, which features Qatar Duty Free as our cover story. In that issue, Qatar Airways Chief Retail & Hospitality Officer Thabet Musleh talks about the DNA of the business, as Qatar Duty Free continues to reach impressive new heights, characterised by a relentless focus on innovation, authentic brand partnerships and a hospitality-led, consumer-centric philosophy.

The transformation over recent years is highlighted in a new film series Moodie Davitt STUDIO, titled Airport Wonders of the World, dedicated as the name suggests to the greatest gateways on the planet.

The inaugural production, a three-part series of short films dedicated to Hamad International Airport in Doha and Qatar Duty Free’s retail, dining, hospitality and leisure attractions, was launched in phases in September and October.

The series portrays the Doha gateway as a destination in itself.

Episode 3, titled Hamad International Airport – A Shopper’s Paradise, portrays a retail wonderland. Click on the video below to view.

The past few months have featured a long list of high-profile openings. The May opening of the Dior Luxury Beauty Retreat, an elegant wellbeing space and spa featuring eight bespoke cabines each offering different treatments for face and body – open every hour of the year – provides a particular source of pride for the company.

So does Souq Al Matar, the marvellously atmospheric traditional Qatari Souq featuring seven shops and two restaurants inaugurated amid great fanfare last December.

These complement other signature luxury brand introductions over the past 18 months such as Louis Vuitton and the magnificent Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno, alongside upgrades to retail in the South Node across fashion & accessories, beauty and the introduction of new concepts across categories and price points, from budget store Big Value Duty Free and travel essentials concept Day2Day.

At The Trinity Forum earlier this month, Musleh also outlined the ambition behind the Qatar Duty Free, and announced a “groundbreaking” data-sharing platform called 36Q that will be accessible to all partners from 1 January 2025.

It offers real-time data on Hamad International Airport’s traveller demographic from age, nationality, sex, frequency of travel, what they have bought, what shops they have bought from and where they are flying.

Described as the most comprehensive data-sharing platform in travel retail, 36Q enables brand owners to better understand passengers and their shopping behaviour at Hamad International Airport.​

Highlighting the long-term vision that drives the business, Musleh said at The Trinity Forum: “This year we are +29% above last year [in sales]. I made a promise to our partners in Cannes last year that we are going to double our business in three years and we are going to deliver that through data. Let’s elevate airport experiences all over the world together.” ✈