QATAR. Thabet Musleh (pictured), formerly Qatar Duty Free Senior Vice President, has been promoted to Chief Retail and Hospitality Officer at Qatar Airways.

Qatar Airways is the parent company of Qatar Duty Free and Hamad International Airport.

The news was revealed via Musleh’s LinkedIn account today. He assumes additional responsibility for Qatar Airway’s key hotel and lounge activities alongside his existing leadership of Qatar Duty Free’s operations, which include duty free, food & beverage, airport advertising and more.

The promotion is major recognition of  Musleh’s outstanding contribution to the airport’s commercial success story across retail, food & beverage and more.

As reported, Qatar Duty Free delivered record results in the financial year to 31 March, with sales turnover reaching an all-time high, up by +22% year-on-year and climbing more than +82% compared to the 2019/20 fiscal year.

“QDF’s success was driven by a clear vision and a partnership-led approach that contributed to the airport’s burgeoning reputation as an iconic global retail location,” said Qatar Airways Group in its latest annual report.

The report highlighted high-profile openings including Souq Al Matar, featuring seven shops and two restaurants and representing “a groundbreaking twist on traditional Qatari heritage and hospitality”.

In 2023 Qatar Duty Free became the first company to win Airport Food & Beverage Offer of the Year (at The Moodie Davitt-owned FAB Awards) and Frontier Airport Retailer of the Year in a single year.

The company repeated its FAB success last month, snapping up  several prestigious accolades at the Airport Food & Beverage + Hospitality Awards 2024 in Ontario, California, including Airport Food & Beverage Offer of the Year. Qatar Duty Free is also in the running again this year across several categories  in the 2024 Frontier Awards.

Recognising his commitment, innovative vision, leadership and success, The Moodie Davitt Report named Musleh one of its People of the Year for three straight years from 2021 to 2023.

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