Qatar Duty Free wins ‘Airport Retailer of the Year’ award

The Qatar Duty Free (QDF) company has been honored with the prestigious “Airport Retailer of the Year” award for the fourth consecutive year at the 2026 Frontier Awards ceremony held in Cannes, France. The award also recognized QDF for its innovative “Best Specialty Concept — Hybrid & F&B” at the opening of Lancôme Café de la Rose.

The ceremony commended QDF for its ongoing investment in retail and hospitality, as well as its unique “experiencentricity” approach that prioritizes the traveler’s experience in all decisions and interactions. Over the past year, QDF has launched 15 new retail concepts at Doha’s Hamad International Airport, ranging from the first POP MART in the Middle East to a significant holiday activation with Charlotte Tilbury.

In the Best Speciality Concept — Hybrid & F&B category, Lancôme Café de la Rose stood out for its exceptional offerings and design, becoming the first airport beauty café that merges Lancôme’s beauty experience with a dedicated café space, offering customers a unique way to explore the brand and its Absolue Collection. Thabet Musleh, the Qatar Airways Group Chief Retail & Hospitality Officer, expressed pride in the continued recognition for QDF, stating, “We are honored and touched to once again receive the highest recognition for QDF at the Frontier Awards.

To be presented with the ‘Airport Retailer of the Year’ award, for a fourth year in a row, is a fantastic achievement for our team and partners.”