Dubai sets sights on retail crown

Dubai, fresh from capturing the title of busiest international airport from London Heathrow, has set its sights on becoming the world's top hub by retail sales this year as a flood of Chinese passengers add to a shopping spree.

Spending at Dubai International Airport should reach $2.1 billion in 2015, up from $1.9 billion last year, when 80 days of runway repairs cut receipts by about $50 million, said Colm McLoughlin, vice-chairman of Dubai Duty Free, which runs 26,000 square meters of retail space at the hub.

Dubai is vying for the top spot with South Korea's Incheon International Airport, which serves the Seoul conurbation. The Asian base had sales of 2.09 trillion won last year ($1.91 billion).