Obituary: Colm McLoughlin knew nothing about duty free, but became the right person for the Dubai job

From humble beginnings at the UK's Woolworths, he took risks to steer the now billion-dollar Dubai Duty Free business to success

Colm McLoughlin will be remembered not only for his business acumen, Dubai Duty Free said, but more so for his 'warmth, his generosity, extraordinary kindness and friendship'. Victor Besa / The NationShow more

When Colm McLoughlin first arrived in the UAE more than 40 years ago, Dubai International Airport had only entered its third decade of operations and Emirates airline was two years away from being launched.

That was in July 1983, the eve of his 40th birthday. He had been invited as part of a 10-person consultancy team from Aer Rianta, the Irish Airport Authority, which was contracted by the Dubai government to launch a duty-free operation five months later on December 20.

What was meant to be a six-month contract became a 41-year stint that saw Mr McLoughlin steer what would become Dubai Duty Free into one of the world's biggest airport retail operations.

"Longevity is a key factor," he said when he announced his retirement in May this year. He was referring to the success of DDF – but that also rings true for his career.

Mr McLoughlin died on Wednesday at the age of 81, after more than four decades at the helm of the billion-dollar DDF and 55 years overall in the aviation industry.

Born in 1943 in Ballinasloe, Ireland, he spent his childhood in County Galway, then "left behind the tranquility of everything he knew for the bright lights of London", according to his 2024 biography, aptly titled A Life Well Spent.

It was in the UK capital that retail caught his eye: within eight years of joining high street giant Woolworths, "he had broken century-old company records to become the youngest and fastest qualified ‘ready man’".

His next major – and most defining – career step happened in 1969 when he joined Shannon Airport in Ireland, which opened the world's first airport duty-free shop in 1947. He only applied because he saw a job vacancy – despite having no idea what duty free was.

Little did Mr McLoughlin know that, ever the risk-taker, he had started laying the foundational blocks for his journey to Dubai. The emirate, a largely unknown city at that time, came calling and once again he took his chances.

The biography says Mr McLoughlin seemed to have consistently defied the adage "nice guys finish last", as he was known for "a mischievous twinkle in his sea-blue eyes and [being] always ready to share a smile".

That smile was one of the many defining traits that enabled the Irishman's transition to Dubai, where he became synonymous with airport retail.

"Colm’s warmth, wisdom and dedication over the decades have inspired many in our industry and beyond ... his memory and impact will long be cherished," Dubai Airports, the operator of the emirate's airports, wrote on X.

"We are saddened ... Colm McLoughlin [was] a distinguished leader and a beloved figure in the travel retail community."

Under his leadership, DDF’s business grew from $20 million in 1984 to $2.16 billion last year. The company reported more than 20 million sales transactions last year, an average of almost 55,000 transactions daily, with about 55.2 million items sold. It expects another solid year in 2024 – its first without Mr McLoughlin at the top. It currently employs nearly 6,000 people. His success led to Mr McLoughlin being called the "$30 billion man", a homage to DDF's cumulative turnover at the time of the biography's release.

“Colm was a great leader who built an award-winning retail business at Dubai Airport ... he was a true friend who touched so many lives within the travel retail industry," Ramesh Cidambi, DDF's managing director who succeeded Mr McLoughlin, said in a statement.

The industry and his peers have consistently recognised his contributions: among his long list of honours are the Most Distinguished Employee Award at the Dubai Government Excellence Awards in 2000, the Irish Presidential Distinguished Service Award in 2014, and the one-time Pearl Achievement Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Travel Industry, which was created to commemorate the 30th Arabian Travel Market conference in 2023. He was also presented with the inaugural Frontier Pioneer Award at the Frontier Awards in Cannes in October.

Mr McLoughlin, the professional, will be fondly cherished for his business acumen. But, as DDF put it, he will be remembered more for the person that he was.

"Colm will be warmly remembered by many for his easy-going personality, his warmth, his generosity, extraordinary kindness and friendship. That will be his enduring legacy."