Abu Dhabi, April 23rd,2007(WAM)--Abu Dhabi Duty Free (ADDF),the Middle East's number one travel retailer by customer spend, has announcedthat strong performances across its core business lines helped it realisea turnover of AED 90.2m (US$24.5m) in Q1 2007 - over one quarter positivegrowth or 27.8 percent on the same period last year.

Buoyed by robust customer spend at the Abu Dhabi International Airportoperations, Beauty and Fragrance (B&F) products saw a 43.7 percent year-on-year increase in sales with both gold and luxury goods items -at 31.5 and 63.9 percent growth respectively - also guiding ADDF to astrong finish in the first quarter.

Already the region's highest spending customers, passengers through AbuDhabi boosted the average spend per customer to an impressive US$ 51,over the same period. L&T maintained a steady growth rate across the firstthree months of the year with an overall 14.6 percent growth on last year'sfigures.

"We are extremely pleased to note the excellent growth witnessed by AbuDhabi Duty Free in the first quarter with February and March standingout in particular - each month performing at growth rates of around 35percent," said Mohamed Mounib, Managing Director, ADDF, and recently appointed Commercial Director of Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC).

The Middle East's second largest duty free operation by turnover, ADDFsuggests that current growth rates are a reflection of a number of strategicallymanaged opportunities that are being put in place and are affecting itsoperations.

"Coupled with seasonal and innovative promotions and activities, we arecurrently benefiting from growth due to the airport's expansion as wellas from Etihad Airways' rapidly increasing number of destinations andflight frequencies to and from Abu Dhabi," added Mounib.

Other year-on-year data released for the first quarter saw impressivegains on gift items, up by 76.7 percent, and leather goods, up 76.9 percent.