SAUDI ARABIA. Lagardère Travel Retail has launched its latest duty-free and dining programmes at two key airports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
An Aelia Duty Free store at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk was inaugurated in July, as the travel retailer maintained its expansion across Saudi Arabia’s regional hubs.
This is the first duty free store at the airport — one of five newly-awarded locations — and Lagardère Travel Retail’s third opening in Cluster 2* airports, following Taif and Qassim, with Hail and Abha set to follow shortly.
Tabuk is the main airport in northern Saudi Arabia and a growing gateway to the NEOM megaproject that is taking shape in the region. Lagardère Travel Retail plans to open a duty-free logistics centre there — a first for a regional airport.
Lagardère Travel Retail also opened new stores in July at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, where it holds a master concession for retail spaces. The seven openings include a new 120sq m Madinah Duty Free store in the international arrivals area, as well as two dining outlets in international departures — So! Coffee and Trib’s — each covering 30sq m.
Local entrepreneurship is also prominent, with the integration of innovative local brands such as Eyewa, a Saudi eyewear hero, and Mint City — a tribute to Madinah’s heritage as a centre of mint production.
As part of its broader role, Lagardère Travel Retail noted that it plays an active part in sourcing and subleasing retail spaces, helping to ensure a diverse and locally relevant commercial offer.
Lagardère Travel Retail Saudi Arabia CEO Mélanie Guilldou commented: “We’re especially proud of the strong and trusting partnership we’ve built with Tibah Airports and Cluster 2. These successful openings mark just the beginning of a long-term collaboration, supported by a multi-year contract and a strong pipeline of upcoming projects. As we accelerate our expansion between 2024 and 2025, nearly doubling our footprint in the Kingdom, we’re fully committed to supporting the transformation of airport retail across Saudi Arabia.
“Being present in key and growing cities throughout the country is both a strategic opportunity and a meaningful responsibility. These regional airports each come with their own dynamics and challenges, but we approach them with agility, strong local ties and a deep respect for each region’s identity.
“Together, we’re fully aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and Tibah’s ambition to enhance the passenger experience — especially as Madinah Airport prepares to welcome 17.5 million travellers by 2027. We’re honoured to play a part in shaping the future of travel retail in the Kingdom, by delivering world-class concepts that also celebrate local culture.”
The Tabuk store was officially inaugurated by Cluster 2 General Manager, Commercial Operations and Business Development Saad A. Alajlan. He said: “These openings reflect the strong momentum we’re building across our airports, as we work to enhance commercial offerings and passenger services in a fast-evolving travel landscape.
“Partnering with Lagardère Travel Retail enables us to bring in innovative, high-quality concepts that respond to the expectations of today’s travellers while supporting regional growth. We’re pleased to see this collaboration taking shape and look forward to its continued development in line with the ambitions of Vision 2030.”
The latest moves extend Lagardère Travel Retail’s Saudi footprint from three airports in 2024 to ten in 2025 — with the number of stores more than doubling from 21 to 44.
*Cluster2 is a state-owned airports company established in January 2022 to manage and operate 22 airports in the Kingdom. ✈
*Click here for a recent interview with MATARAT Holding, which is tasked with overseeing the Kingdom’s 27 civilian airports, about how it is delivering a vision to redefine the aviation landscape.
