POP MART makes Middle East debut at Hamad International Airport with exclusive travel collection

Qatar Duty Free (QDF) has partnered with global collectible giant POP MART to open the brand’s first store in the Middle East, located at Hamad International Airport in Doha.

The 100-square-metre boutique near Gate C18 in the North Node blends modern design with Middle Eastern artistic flair, creating a vibrant new destination for travelers 24 hours a day.

The grand opening featured a lively travel-themed fashion show, where international influencers and guests enjoyed a showcase of flight-ready looks paired with POP MART collectibles. The event celebrated the brand’s creative energy and QDF’s vision of transforming airport retail into a joyful, immersive experience.

The store introduces POP MART’s Twinkle Twinkle Wonderful Journey series — a collection designed especially for travelers and debuting in Doha. The exclusive lineup includes card holders, U-shaped travel pillows, portable bags, and crossbody bags, offering a playful mix of style and function for globetrotters.

As a special Qatar exclusive, customers will receive a limited-edition blanket featuring local totems and POP MART characters with their purchases. The design fuses traditional Qatari motifs with the brand’s distinctive pop culture charm, offering a cozy keepsake for long flights.

Both Qatar Duty Free and POP MART said the collaboration will redefine airport retail by combining creativity, world-class service, and cultural connection.

“This first-in-the-region concept adds a new dimension of creativity and fun to our retail mix,” said Thabet Musleh, Qatar Airways Group Chief Retail & Hospitality Officer. “It perfectly aligns with our vision to surprise travellers with unique, experience-centric concepts.”

POP MART’s Senior Vice President Justin Moon added, “By blending Qatar’s rich culture with our playful characters, we’re creating more than a retail space — we’re setting a new global benchmark for how pop culture connects with local communities.”

Open around the clock, the new store marks a milestone for both QDF and POP MART, bringing the world of collectible art toys to one of the world’s top airports and introducing Middle Eastern travelers to a new wave of creative, culture-driven retail.

marco.lam@singtaonewscorp.com