Thabet Musleh has driven unprecedented success for an recognition of Qatar Duty Free’s consumer offer across retail and food & beverage

QATAR/VIETNAM. Qatar Duty Free Senior Vice President Thabet Musleh is the latest leading travel retail executive to join the speaking line-up for The Trinity Forum 2024 in what is shaping as a blockbuster edition of the world’s leading airport commercial revenues event.

The Trinity Forum takes place on 5-6 November in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, co-hosted by Airports Corporation of Vietnam and IPP Group. The event is owned by The Moodie Davitt Report and co-organised with Airports Council International (ACI) World and ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East.

Musleh is one of the most-respected and forward-thinking executives in the airport commercial revenues world. Over recent years he has driven an extraordinary retail and food & beverage transformation at Hamad International Airport, Doha.

That achievement has been recognised across an unprecedented array of award programmes. In 2023, Qatar Duty Free won the Airport Food & Beverage Offer of the Year accolade at The Moodie Davitt Report’s FAB Awards in Bangkok, Thailand, one of 12 awards on the night including Food & Beverage Opening of the Year for Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno.

In October 2023, Qatar Duty Free was named Airport Retailer of the Year at the Frontier Awards, marking the first time any company has won both the leading F&B and retailer awards in the same year.

Earlier this month, Hamad International Airport was named ‘World’s Best Airport Shopping’ in the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2024 for the second consecutive year. The Doha gateway was also recognised by Skytrax as ‘World’s Best Airport’ for the third time and ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the tenth consecutive year.

Musleh brings more than 15 years of experience in travel retail to his leadership of Qatar Duty Free’s retail, food & beverage and in-house advertising divisions. He has played an instrumental role in the company generating record-breaking duty free sales and positioning Qatar Duty Free as a leader in pioneering concepts, including ‘transit tourism’ and a series of world-first retail and F&B openings.

Under his stewardship, Qatar Duty Free aims to deliver experience-led hospitality and a ‘something for everyone’ proposition, regardless of their budget or preference.

Musleh joined Qatar Duty Free’s parent company Qatar Airways in 2015 as Head of Retail Operations for the national carrier’s duty-free business, before being promoted to head  the business in January 2018. He was appointed as Vice President Operations in 2018, Vice President in 2021 and Senior Vice President in 2023. Earlier in his career, he spent 10 years at World Duty Free Group and held senior roles across London’s three biggest airports: Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.

Musleh was named one of The Moodie Davitt Report’s People of the Year in 2021, 2022 and 2023 for his contribution to the company and the travel retail industry.

The Trinity Forum coming to Ho Chi Minh City is a big step forward for Vietnam’s airport and travel retail sectors, an importance reflected in a high-power turnout at a glittering hosting ceremony and gala dinner held in the city earlier this month. Pictured left to right are IPPG Vice President Phillip Nguyen; IPPG President Le Hong Thuy Tien; ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East Director General Stefano Baronci; Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh; Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises Vice Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Canh; Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Dung; Airports Corporation of Vietnam Deputy General Director Nguyen Cao Cuong; The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie; IPPG Founder & Chairman Johnathan Hanh Nguyen; and Airports Corporation of Vietnam Vice General Director Nguyen Duc Hung

The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie said: “We are delighted Thabet is joining what promises to be an awesome edition of The Trinity Forum. His vision, innovation, determination and professionalism have been instrumental in Qatar Duty Free and Hamad International Airport setting new standards in airport retail and food & beverage.

“The unprecedented string of awards speaks for itself but even they only hint at the profoundly experiential dimension that Hamad International Airport and Qatar Duty Free have brought to the travelling consumer. Delegates at this year’s Trinity Forum are in for a treat.”

{This short video shot by Martin Moodie on his iPhone captures a snapshot of the luxury offer at Hamad International Airport}

Click on the cover image to read The Moodie Davitt eZine’s extensive multi-media coverage of The Trinity Forum 2023 held in Hong Kong

Musleh will be joined by many other leaders from the travel retail community and beyond. Adani Airports Holding Chief Executive Officer Arun Bansal will be a big drawcard as he speaks about prospects in India and beyond as seen through the lens of this hugely ambitious latter-day giant of the airport world.

Riyadh Airports Company Chief Commercial Officer Abdulaziz Al Asaker will address the opportunities presented by the burgeoning Saudi airport commercial revenues landscape. IPP Travel Retail CEO Phillip Nguyen will outline a myriad of positive developments in Vietnam within the wider travel and tourism ecosystem, with a special focus on the exciting new Long Thanh International Airport currently in the advanced stages of construction.

Pictured left to right: IPP Travel Retail CEO Phillip Nguyen, Adani Airports Holding Chief Executive Officer Arun Bansal and Riyadh Airports Company Chief Commercial Officer Abdulaziz Al Asaker. The trio will be joined by a powerful, diverse and inclusive line-up of fellow executives as The Trinity Forum comes to Vietnam for the first time.

Registration will open soon for the Trinity Forum. You can visit the dedicated website for the event here.

Details of more sponsorship agreements and confirmed speakers will follow soon. ✈

A flashback to last October and the official Trinity Forum handover ceremony from the 2023 host Hong Kong International Airport to its 2024 successor IPP Travel Retail. Pictured (left to right) are Airport Authority of Hong Kong Head of Retail & Advertising Alby Tsang; The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie; and IPP Group Vice President/IPP Travel Retail CEO Phillip Nguyen.