Thabet Musleh promoted to Senior Vice President at Qatar Duty Free

Thabet Musleh: Key influence at Qatar Duty Free and the wider travel retail sector

QATAR. In a telling recognition of his driving role in Qatar Duty Free’s (QDF) notable success over recent years, Thabet Musleh has been promoted to Senior Vice President.

The announcement was made on Musleh’s LinkedIn page. He was formerly Vice President.

Musleh joined QDF in 2015 as Retail Operations Manager and has since played a deeply influential role in the retailer’s stellar performance at Hamad International Airport.

He has secured numerous industry firsts and exclusive concepts, brands, activations and launches over recent years, including during the pandemic when Qatar Duty Free offered one of travel retail’s few international bright spots.

As reported, Qatar Duty Free (QDF) posted record-high revenues for its latest financial year ended March 2023 with sales up +59% compared to 2021-2022 and an impressive +45% over 2019-2020.

That strong performance was driven by a more than +49% year-on-year uplift in sales per passenger.

In another key indicator, QDF also achieved a +26% rise in turnover during the 2022 calendar year compared to pre-pandemic 2019.

Musleh was named one of The Moodie Davitt Report’s People of the Year in 2022 for his highly influential role at Qatar Duty Free, Hamad International Airport and within the wider travel retail sector.

2022 was highlighted by the triumphant opening of the Terminal Expansion and delivery of the new Central Concourse at Hamad International last November. These jointly represented a landmark moment for airport development and for travel retail.

Towering presence: The duplex Fendi store, complemented by the Fendi Caffe, represents one of the many talking points within the terminal expansion
Click to open The Moodie Davitt Magazine from November 2022, which featured Hamad International Airport and Qatar Duty Free’s dazzling new operations

The acclaimed development features an outstanding Qatar Duty Free commercial offer, led by an excitingly diverse luxury and premium offer, and a range of firsts across retail and dining. All this is set within an extraordinary 10,000sq m indoor tropical garden called The Orchard.

Commenting on its excellent 2022/23 results last week, Qatar Duty Free said the “revolutionary retail experience” across both the existing South node and the new Central Concourse had each played a key role.

Musleh said at the time: “This was a fantastic year for Qatar Duty Free, our home Hamad International Airport and the Qatar Airways Group. We are honoured to have played a significant role in the FIFA World Cup tournament, the tremendous airport expansion project and many other significant events in the country.”

He added: “Our goal was to offer an unforgettable and seamless travel experience to all the passengers, and we successfully achieved that goal. I would like to thank all members of the QDF community for their unprecedented and continuous support.

“Our financial results represent our tremendous success, and we look forward to showcasing many more triumphs and achievements in 2023.” ✈


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