Doha's Hamad International Airport (HIA) is one of the busiest and most modern airports in the Middle East. It is a stunning architectural masterpiece which offers a wide range of facilities and services for passengers, including a variety of duty-free shops, restaurants, lounges, and more. 

One can also shop across a wide range of stores for luxury brands and products and indulge in duty-free shopping to get high-end products at a lesser cost.  

In this article, we’ll take you through duty-free shopping at Hamad International Airport in Doha and all the details related to it.  

Doha Airport Duty-Free Website

Visit the Qatar Duty-Free website to view the many luxurious duty-free products you can shop from: www.qatardutyfree.com

What Can You Do on the Doha Duty-Free Website?

On the Qatar Duty-Free website, you can:

• View a Variety of Luxury Products: The Qatar duty-free site lists down many luxury brands that you can explore and view products of. 
• View Dining Options: You also have the option to view dining options of Harrods Tea Room, Starbucks and RED American Bistro along with their menu
• Avail Raffles and Win: Raffles are ticketing that travellers and non-travellers can purchase to participate in the lucky draw that happens in Doha International Airport. Here, you have the option to win a luxury car, motorbike or 1 million US Dollars!

Which Terminals have Duty-Free Shops at Doha Airport?

The Hamad International Airport in Doha has only one terminal. You can find duty-free stores at:

• Duty-Free South Plaza
• Departures Concourse A
• Departures Concourse B
• Departures Concourse C
• Duty-Free North and Garden Plaza.

The terminal caters to both domestic and international flights and has three levels and five concourses - A, B, C, D, and E.

List of Duty-Free Stores at Doha International Airport

There are many duty-free stores available at the Hamad International Airport in Doha. Some of them are listed below:

• Accessories Lab
• Qatar Duty-Free Beauty Essentials
• Beauty Store
  
• Big Value Store
• Qatar Duty-Free
• Core Duty-Free Store (Confectionary, Liquor & Tobacco)
• Qatar Duty-Free Express Shop
  
• Qatar Duty-Free Perfumes & Cosmetics Store
• Qatar Duty-Free Pop-Up
• Qatar Duty-Free Sports Shop
• Women's Fashion Store 

In Hamad International Airport, you will find an extensive exhibit of global and local brands and products to shop for. There is an assortment of items such as:

• Liquor products
• Tobacco products
• Perfumes, Cosmetics and Beauty Products
• Confectioneries and Food Items
• Electronics and Gadgets
• Clothing, Shoes and Accessories
• Jewellery
• Travel essentials
• Souvenirs and Toys
• Raffles

Duty-Free Shops Timings at Doha Airport

Duty-free stores are usually open 24 hours at the Hamad International Airport.

Although you cannot shop online or pre-order items through the Qatar Duty-Free website, Qatar Airways which operates in Hamad International Airport, offers travellers the opportunity to shop in-flight.

You can browse through the in-flight duty-free magazine for fragrances, skincare products, watches, jewellery and more.

After boarding your Qatar Airways flight, you can request to view their duty-free magazine. 

• The catalogue has an extensive variety of branded products for you to browse and shop from.
• Once you've decided on the products you want, you can fill up the in-flight sales request coupon which is subject to availability.
• In the coupon, you will need to mention the product name, page number, item code, your name, seat number, currency and mode of payment.
• Then, tear the coupon along the perforated line and hand the coupon to the cabin crew who will deliver your purchase to you.

What Documents are Required for Duty-Free Shopping?

When shopping duty-free from Hamad International Airport, always have these 2 documents present:

• A Valid Passport (or resident ID Card)
• A Valid International Boarding Pass

What Modes of Payment are Accepted When Shopping Duty-Free?

• Cash - All GCC currencies*, US dollars, UK pounds, Euro and Japanese Yen.
• Card - Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club

Debit cards and NAPS** are not accepted. Credit card purchases will be charged in Qatari Riyal. 

If you need to exchange your currency, there are plenty of foreign exchange centres located within the terminal to do so.

*The six Arab countries form the GCC - Gulf Cooperation Council – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

** National ATM and Point of Sale Switch (NAPS) is the electronic payment gateway used for switching and settling of all local and GCC interbank debit card transactions. It remains the most widely used inter-bank payment system in Qatar.

Some duty-free shopping tips and etiquettes are:

• Know the Allowance Limits: Duty-free allowances vary from country to country. Before you purchase a product, ensure that there is no complication when you land in your destination country as well. You can check for this information online before you start shopping.
• Shop Before Travel: Shopping before you travel can save you time and offer additional discounts! You can preview your favourite brands from the Qatar duty-free website and shop duty-free from the airport on the day of travel.
• Do Your Research: If you want to buy a luxury item in a duty-free shop, plan and do some research to determine which brands and items are available. While duty-free prices are often lower than regular retail prices, it's a good idea to research and compare prices.
• Keep Track of Your Spending: It is important to monitor your spending to ensure you stay within your budget and duty-free allowance. It's easy to get carried away with the savings and deals offered. You must also be cautious not to buy too much, as you may be subject to excess baggage fees if you exceed your airline's weight limits.