Colm McLoughlin, Irishman who made Dubai Duty Free a retail giant, dies aged 81

Colm McLoughlin, an Irishman who landed in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates and helped lead Dubai Duty Free to become an airport retail behemoth, has died aged 81.

Mr McLoughlin ran Dubai Duty Free from 1983 until he retired earlier this year, a span of more than 40 years which saw Dubai grow from a river-side trading port into a modern metropolis, home to the world’s tallest building and other attractions.

And all the millions of passengers arriving at Dubai International Airport, now the world’s busiest for international travel, saw the rows of electronics, cigarettes, cigars, alcohol and other goods available duty-free at his stores, sold by a salesforce in green jackets, yellow ties and conversing in multiple languages.

“It’s a very Middle Eastern kind of thing,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 1987 as he showed off its gold market. “We have to cater to a lot of tastes.”

Dubai Duty Free said in a statement that Mr McLoughlin died on Wednesday after a short illness.

The operation’s new managing director, Ramesh Cidambi, praised Mr McLoughlin for steering its “growth to a two billion dollar business with over 6,000 employees at the time of his retirement”.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chief executive of long-haul carrier Emirates and chairman of Dubai Duty Free, offered his condolences.

“His passion, commitment and pioneering spirit have left a lasting legacy,” Sheikh Ahmed said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,  the ruler of Dubai, said on X: “With a heavy heart we mourn the passing of Colm McLoughlin, a distinguished visionary whose dedication transformed Dubai Duty Free into a global icon over more than four decades.

“Colm was an inspiring and humble figure, one of the beautiful faces of Dubai and a brilliant mind with a kind and loving heart.”

Born in Ballinasloe, Ireland, in 1943, Mr McLoughlin joined Shannon Airport’s first-in-the-world duty-free operation in 1969.

In July 1983, he arrived with a 10-man team in Dubai to set up the sandy airport’s duty-free operation. His six-month contract stretched into 40 years.

Like the rest of the aviation industry, Dubai Duty Free took a hit during the years of the coronavirus pandemic and airline groundings.

But sales have since bounced back. In 2023 alone, under McLoughlin, Dubai Duty Free sold six million cans of beer, 2.3 million bottles of whiskey, 2.3 million cartons of cigarettes, 10.2 million cigars and 3.3 million bottles of perfume.

One big segment has been Chinese travellers, after Dubai Duty Free worked to accept their credit cards, had staff speaking Mandarin and put in goods they wanted.

“We would be silly if we didn’t take advantage of it and try to serve them,” Mr McLoughlin told The Associated Press in 2012.

And many a bleary-eyed traveller in Dubai’s cavernous airport tried their luck at the constant raffles being offered, whether for one million dollars, a luxury car or a racing motorcycle.

Mr McLoughlin also was known for Dubai Duty Free’s sponsorship of tennis and golf tournaments, as well as his work supporting Dubai’s Irish community.

He received the Irish Presidential Distinguished Service Award in 2014.

“Colm McLoughlin has been an integral part of the Irish community in the UAE,” his award citation read.

“Both in his highly successful professional career with Dubai Duty Free and in his leadership roles across almost every Irish organisation, Colm McLoughlin has played a hugely positive role in the promotion of Irish interests in the UAE.”

Mr McLoughlin is survived by his wife Breeda, son Niall, daughters Tyna and Mandy, and their families.