Abu Dhabi Duty Free sales rise 7.5% in H1

Abu Dhabi International Airport said on Tuesday its Duty Free sales for the first half of 2011 rose by 7.5 percent compared to the same period last year.Total sales of AED293m were announced with shops in Terminal 3 seeing a 59 percent increase, driven by the excellent performance from its 19 luxury boutiques.Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) said in a statement that sales increases were expected to continue over the second half of 2011, as shops in Terminal 1 reopen following the terminal refurbishments, which are set to be completed by the end of this month.Huraiz Al Mur Bin Huraiz, ADAC's chief commercial officer, said, "We are committed to continuously improve the duty free offerings at Abu Dhabi International Airport. "This year, we've witnessed an increase in sales and look forward to even further growth in Q3 and Q4."We are expecting strong numbers in the next six months as a result of the completion of the refurbishment of Terminal 1, creating a world class shopping environment," he added.Five additional new luxury boutiques set to open later this month, including Burberry, Ferragamo, Givenchy, Bulgari & Mont Blanc, ADAC added in the statement. From / Arabian Business