Colm McLoughlin, Irishman who led Dubai Duty Free to become an airport retail giant, dies at age 81

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Colm McLoughlin, an Irishman who landed in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates and helped lead Dubai Duty Free into becoming an airport retail behemoth generating billions of dollars, has died. He was 81.

McLoughlin ran Dubai Duty Free from 1983 until he retired earlier this year, a span of over 40 years that saw Dubai grow from a creekside trading port into a modern metropolis, home to the world's tallest building and other attractions.

And all the millions of passengers coming into 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, hawked by a salesforce in green suit jackets, yellow ties and conversing in multiple languages.

“It’s a very Middle Eastern kind of thing,” McLoughlin 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 McLoughlin died Wednesday after a short illness, without elaborating. The operation's new managing director, Ramesh Cidambi, praised McLoughlin for steering its “growth to a $2 billion dollar business with over 6,000 employees at the time of his retirement.”

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, offered condolences for his death Friday.

“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,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote on the social platform X. “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, McLoughlin joined Shannon Airport's first-in-the-world duty-free operation in 1969. In July 1983, he came with a 10-man team to Dubai to set up the sandy airport's duty-free operation. His six-month contract ended up stretching 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 6 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 travelers, 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,” McLoughlin told The Associated Press in 2012.

And many a bleary-eyed traveler in Dubai's cavernous airport tried their luck at the constant raffles being offered, whether for $1 million, a luxury automobile or a racing motorcycle.

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 organization, Colm McLouglin has played a hugely positive role in the promotion of Irish interests in the UAE.”

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