Qatar Duty Free celebrates a 20-year success story QATAR. Twenty years ago, Qatar Duty Free opened for business at Doha International Airport in Qatar. The 1 May 2000 inauguration came three years after the relaunch of parent Qatar Airways under the leadership of Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, which heralded an extraordinary transformation in aviation in the Gulf state. Unusually for a leading international gateway, the airport owner, (also Qatar Airways) chose to run its duty free business (and food & beverage operations) in-house. World-class retail: Last November Qatar Duty Free and L’Ore?al Travel Retail partnered to launch a luxury Beauty Avenue in the centre of the retailer’s south shopping plaza In those two decades, Qatar Duty Free has grown from a fledgling start-up to become of the industry’s most distinguished duty free retailers (for most of the period in the sky as well as on the ground), a flagbearer for innovation and quality. Since 30 April 2014, it has been the anchor retailer at the magnificent new Hamad International Airport, one of the world’s great airports. [What better way to celebrate the 20-year landmark than with the appropriately titled The Beginning, a beautiful piece that can be found on Qatar Duty Free’s home page? It is written by Dana Al Fardan , Qatar’s only female contemporary composer. She is also a songwriter and symphonic artist, who draws on her rich cultural heritage and love of world music to create a fusion of Arab-influenced contemporary classical sound that is epic in scale and universally accessible. Her strong local audience is now garnering international attention, through a combination of her most recent album release, Sandstorm, and her appointment as the official composer for Qatar Airways, where her material entertains passengers on the airline’s global flight paths.] All that time Qatar Duty Free has been led by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, one of the most recognised and respected figures in the global aviation industry. His vision and commitment has enabled the extraordinary transformation of Qatar Airways from a small regional carrier (it operated just four aircraft in a regional capacity prior to his appointment) into a global airline flying over 200 aircraft to more than 160 destinations. Besides his leadership of the airline and Qatar Duty Free, H.E. Mr Akbar Al Baker is also CEO of several other Qatar Airways divisions – Qatar Executive, Hamad International Airport, Qatar Aviation Services, Qatar Aircraft Catering Company, Qatar Distribution Company, and Internal Media Services, among others. Qatar Duty Free was an outstanding co-host (along with Qatar Airways and Hamad International Airport) of the 2019 Trinity Forum and today in words, images and video we salute its proud 20-year landmark, its remarkable leader and its management and frontline team, with reference to some of the key achievements down the line. Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free show leadership and compassion in crisis Qatar Airways has shown its stature, capabilities and compassion to impressive effect during the COVID-19 crisis, maintaining flights all over the world in its mission to get people home. The airline has successfully flown over one million passengers home — on both scheduled and chartered flights — and transported 70,000 tonnes of medical supplies amid the COVID-19 global health emergency. The Qatar Airways super heroes who will bring you home Take a moment to watch and listen to the beautiful tribute below from Qatar Airways to its cabin crew. The airline prefaces the film by saying: “We are so proud of QatarAirways’ cabin crew who are continuing to serve in the midst of this challenging time, just knowing that it will make a difference to somebody out there.” #TakingYouHome Let us quote you the words of one of the cabin crew interviewed on the short film. It tells its own beautiful story. She says simply, “We will bring you home.” Helping China at a time of crisis In February, when the COVID-19 crisis was at its peak in China, Qatar Airways volunteered free air cargo transportation for medical relief organised by Chinese embassies and consulates to help fight the outbreak. The airline flew medical supplies donated by Chinese communities worldwide through its network of 170 destinations to cargo gateways in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker offering the airline’s support to Chinese Ambassador to Qatar His Excellency Mr. Zhou Jian Qatar Duty Free frontliners show their community spirit Qatar Duty Free management (led by Vice President Operations Thabet Musleh) and staff embraced The Moodie Davitt Report’s recent call to join together and applaud the work of the medical community worldwide – especially the doctors, nurses and other frontline staff involved helping the world deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking our cue from individual initiatives across the world, The Moodie Davitt Report asked members of the industry community, whether at home in isolation or at work in offices, downtown stores or at airports, to join a worldwide burst of applause on 31 March (#ClapforourCarersTravelRetail). As you can see, Qatar Duty Free was there in the front line. 2020 Trinity Forum a triumph The 2020 Trinity Forum in Doha, co-hosted by Hamad International Airport, Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free was one of the best in the event’s proud 17-year history. We capture some of the highlights in photos and video below. (Above and below) Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker speaks to Martin Moodie during a riveting session at The Trinity Forum 2020 in Doha, co-hosted by Hamad International Airport, Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free [A short highlights video capturing The Trinity Forum and the cultural and sporting events that took place. A Moodie Davitt Marshall TV production.] Great brands brought to life in an outstanding environment (From left) H.E. Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani; Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker; Harrods Director Raj Assanand; Qatar Investment Authority Board Member H.E. Dr. Hussain Ali Al-Abdulla; and Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations Thabet Musleh officiate at the inauguration of the Harrods Tearoom at Hamad International Airport in late 2019. Lamp Bear by Swiss artist Urs Fischer takes centre stage in the grand foyer leading to Hamad International Airport’s Qatar Duty Free zone. The giant 23-foot canary yellow teddy bear is sculpted from bronze that sits inside a lamp. It’s a playful piece designed to humanise the space around it and remind travellers of childhood or precious objects from home. In November 2018, Qatar Duty Free and Parfums Christian Dior launched a stunning, world-exclusive Dior Les Parfums Podium at Hamad International Airport, designed as a tribute to fragrance creation Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations Thabet Musleh talks proudly to media about another world first Click to open the special issue of The Moodie Davitt e-Zine A special edition of The Moodie Davitt eZine reported on location from Doha for the spectacular world- exclusive launch of the Dior Les Parfums Podium at Hamad International Airport in late 2018. The launch was an ambitious four-way collaboration between Parfums Christian Dior, Qatar Airways, Qatar Duty Free and Hamda International Airport, which brought the rich heritage of fragrance creation to an extraordinary 21st century retail ampitheatre. The special issue featured exclusive interviews with Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Akbar Al Baker and Dior’s legendary in-house Perfumer and Creator François Demachy, plus a compelling podcast with Dior Travel Retail Senior Vice President Olivier Dubos. [Qatar Duty Free teamed up with L’Oréal Travel Retail Europe Middle East Africa and India in a dazzling Chinese New Year animation at Hamad International Airport in January 2020. The pop-up, launched in association with Qatar Tourism Council and Qatar Airways, kicked off with a Chinese New Year-themed launch event, which culminated with a stirring lion dance performance.] [Take a look inside the new Harrods Tearoom at Hamad International courtesy of The Moodie Davitt Report] How Qatar Duty Free has evolved down the years These films from 2016 show how Qatar Duty Free has emerged as a world-class travel retailer, always reinventing itself. They were filmed and produced by industry filmmaker Peter Marshall..