UAE/SINGAPORE/CHINA. Dubai Duty Free has been awarded the ‘Best Global Duty Free’ award at the Burj CEO Awards and ‘Best Global Partner’ award from Chinese online travel agent (OTA) Trip.com.
The retailer was recognised by the CEO Clubs Network Worldwide and Burj CEO Awards for its exceptional performance in airport retailing spanning four decades.
The company received the award at its head offices on 25 October. It was personally presented by CEO Clubs Network Worldwide Founder & CEO Dr Tariq Nizami to Dubai Duty Free Executive Chairman & CEO Colm McLoughlin.
In addition, McLoughlin and Dubai Duty Free COO Ramesh Cidambi were presented with Medals of Honour from the CEO Clubs Network Worldwide.
“We are delighted to receive the Best Global Duty Free Award from the CEO Clubs Network,” commented McLoughlin. “This is a strong testimony to our dedication to providing a world-class retail experience to our customers. We were unable to be present at the awards ceremony itself, so appreciate receiving the award in person.”
Dubai Duty Free SVP Marketing Sinead El Sibai; SVP Human Resources Mona Al Ali; SVP Retail Michael Schmidt; SVP Purchasing Sharon Beecham; and SVP Loss Prevention and Corporate Security Zayed Al Shebli were also present during the awarding ceremony.
The 6th annual Burj CEO Awards is hosted by the CEO Clubs Network Worldwide. It recognises outstanding individuals and organisations across a diverse array of over 50 categories.
It was first launched in 2016 in Washington D.C. and has since been held in London, Shenzhen, Mauritius and Dubai. Over the years, the Burj CEO Awards have honoured more than 200 business leaders and organisations for their success in their respective industries.
CEO Clubs Network also regularly hosts the Burj CEO Summit. The summit offers a platform for delegates and awardees to share knowledge and best practices as well as engage in discussion about their respective industries’ future trends and challenges.
Dubai Duty Free was also awarded ‘Best Global Partner’ by Chinese OTA Trip.com Group at its Global Partner Summit held on 24 October at the Resorts World Singapore Convention Centre.
The Global Partner Summit saw delegates from across the travel industry – including hotels, airlines and destination marketing partners – come together for an evening of celebration. At the event, Dubai Duty Free was represented by Resourcing and Employee Development Manager Sunshine Bian.
Dubai Duty Free was recognised for its outstanding performance and strategic partnership with Ctrip (a Chinese OTA platform under the Trip.com umbrella), which began in 2016 when the partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The partnership was solidified in 2018 when Ctrip and Dubai Duty Free signed a strategic agreement, deepening the retailer’s reach and engagement with Chinese consumers via Ctrip’s platform.
Trip.com is driving its ‘Local Focus, Global Vision’ strategy by holding its annual Global Partner Summit abroad for the first time. The move underlines its positive outlook for both inbound and outbound tourism in China and reaffirms the company’s commitment to enhancing global partner growth.
Commenting on the accolade, McLoughlin said: “We are delighted to receive the Best Global Partner award from Trip.com. Being selected as one of Ctrip’s most outstanding global partners outside China is significant and highlights the ongoing importance of Chinese travellers to our business.” ✈
