Qatar Duty Free (QDF) has been named Airport Retailer of the Year for the fourth consecutive year at the 2026 Frontier Awards. The awards were hosted by DFNI at Palm Beach during the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes (30 September).
The company also won Best Speciality Concept – Hybrid & F&B for Lancôme Café de la Rose at Hamad International Airport, which combines beauty discovery with a dedicated café space.
Lancôme Café de la Rose, described as the first airport beauty café, brings together Lancôme’s beauty experience and a café environment, offering passengers a new way to discover the brand and its Absolue Collection. It was recognised for its innovative hybrid concept and experiential design.
The Frontier accolade follows three wins for Lancôme Café de la Rose at The Moodie Davitt Report’s recent 2026 Airport Food and Beverage (FAB) Awards: Airport Food & Beverage Marketing Campaign of the Year, Airport Instagrammable Location of the Year – Restaurant and the FAB Airport Food & Beverage Innovation Award.
The awards recognised QDF’s continued investment in its retail and hospitality offer, alongside its ‘Experiencentricity’ approach, which places the traveller experience at the centre of its decisions and interactions.
Over the past 12 months, QDF has introduced 15 new retail concepts at the Doha gateway. Developments have included the first Pop Mart store in the Middle East, alongside a large-scale holiday activation with Charlotte Tilbury.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Retail & Hospitality Officer Thabet Musleh said: “We are honoured and touched to once again receive the highest recognition for Qatar Duty Free 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.
“My thanks go to everyone who contributed to this success, during what has been a challenging year. The Qatar Duty Free team has shown immense resilience and adaptability and deserves to celebrate this achievement.
“I am also grateful to our partners for their continued trust and commitment, which ensures Hamad International Airport remains the world’s leading retail, dining and hospitality destination for air travellers.” ✈
