Colm McLoughlin, a native of Ballinasloe in County Galway, was a driving figure behind the establishment of Dubai Duty Free. Sadly, Mr McLoughlin passed away in Britain at the age of 81 after battling a brief illness. He initially joined the governmental team from Aer Rianta in 1983 to develop the duty free venture in Dubai, a contract that was originally set for six months. However, his journey didn’t end there, as he led the company for over four decades, witnessing its sales spike from $20 million in 1984 to a staggering $2.2 billion in the last completed trading year.
McLoughlin relinquished his role as executive vice chairman and CEO of the firm in May, marking over half a century in the business sector. He was instrumental in expanding Dubai Duty Free into one of the largest individual airport enterprises globally.
In recognition of his commendable service to Ireland, he was honoured with the Presidential Distinguished Service Award in 2014. Outside his stellar business achievements, McLoughlin was revered for his contributions to charitable projects, having helped set up the Dubai Duty Free Foundation in 2004 to support numerous local and international charitable organisations.
His life and work left a profound impact on those he touched, and he will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, and camaraderie in addition to his business acumen. Ramesh Cidambi, the managing director of Dubai Duty Free, hailed him as a brilliant leader who developed a prize-winning retail business in Dubai Airport, reaching many people within the travel retail sector.