Colm McLoughlin, Galway man who led Dubai Duty Free to become an airport retail giant, dies at age 81
By David Hennessy
Colm McLoughlin, the Galway man who was among the founders of global travel retail giant Dubai Duty Free, died in the UK on Wednesday last week aged 81 following a short illness.
Mr McLoughlin, who was from Ballinasloe, was part of the consulting team brought in from Aer Rianta – a forerunner to the DAA – to launch Dubai’s duty free operation in 1983.
His initial contract with the government of Dubai was for six months but he went on to run the business for more than four decades. In that time, the group’s sales increased from $20 million in 1984 to close to $2.2 billion last year.
Colm only retired earlier this year.
His 40 years in the desert also saw Dubai grow from a creekside trading port into a modern metropolis with millions of passengers coming into Dubai International Airport, now the world’s busiest for international travel.
Dubai Duty Free said in a statement that McLoughlin died Wednesday after a short illness.
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 Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the CEO 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 the social platform X.
The Irish World interviewed Colm McLoughlin in 2011.
Colm told The Irish World: “When we first came to Dubai we recognised that there was room for big improvement.
“At the same time we did not visualise the growth we have enjoyed.
“So many things have happened. When we first started here Emirates Airline, for example, wasn’t born.
“Now Emirates Airline is a huge airline and they carried 29 million people last year.
“A lot of positive things have taken place.
“The real estate developed, the tourism grew up, at the same time we grew along with it.”
Born in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway in 1943, Colm began his retail career in London as the youngest branch manager at Woolworths. Living in Acton, Ealing and Harrow, it was with the popular high street chain that the young businessman cut his teeth in management.
McLoughlin then joined Shannon Airport’s first-in-the-world duty-free operation in 1969. In July 1983, he went with a 10-man team to Dubai to set up the sandy airport’s duty-free operation.
McLoughlin was also known for Dubai Duty Free’s sponsorship of tennis and golf tournaments, as well as his work supporting Dubai’s Irish community. Something else Dubai Duty Free sponsored was the local GAA team, Dubai Celts.
“Dubai Duty Free have been supporting Dubai Celts for many years. I am the current president… not that I play football anymore,” he laughed. “We try to support the Irish wherever we can.”
Colm 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.”
He also helped establish the Dubai Duty Free Foundation in 2004 and was “very proud” of the work that was done to support 119 local and international charities, according to Dubai Duty Free, who said he was “a well-known and much-loved figure in Dubai”.
When we asked him for his particular highlight back in 2011 Colm said: “I met the President of Ireland there a couple of years ago, Mary McAleese, I was very impressed. Very happy that Ireland has a president of that stature. I met the Queen of England last year and I was privileged to meet her. She’s a fantastic lady, She is 60 years the queen of England and she still takes time to engage with you. It is always interesting and exciting, the people you meet.”
McLoughlin is survived by his wife Breeda, son Niall, daughters Tyna and Mandy, and their families.