ArabianBusiness.com - Middle East Business News
Thursday, 28 March 2024 13:12 UAE time
Expat Power List - Gulf's Most Influential Expatriates
45#  Colm McLoughlin - picture not available
45# Colm McLoughlin

Country of Residence: United Arab Emirates
Nationality: Ireland
Industry: Retail
Managing Director, Dubai Duty Free
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As managing director of one of the most lucrative duty free outfits worldwide, Colm McLoughlin oversaw record sales of $1.1bn in 2009, and in the first half of this year sales are up sixteen percent to $607m.

The Irishman began his retail career in London in the late 1960s working for the high-street chain Woolworths, before returning to Ireland to work for Shannon Duty Free, where he served as the organisation's general manager.

He was one of a team of ten from Aer Rianta who moved to Dubai in 1983, at the request of the Dubai royal family, and set up Dubai Duty Free.

He only ever intended to stay six months, but the launch was so successful that he was asked to stay and his contract was extended. The company now employs 3500 people, sells one and a half million pieces of merchandise every week and processes more than 55,000 transactions every day.

While the opening of Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport helped boost DDF's sales, McLoughlin new challenge is the company's roll out of Al Maktoum International, which opened this summer.

DDF had 3,000 sq m of retail space at the airport on day one, but when the airport eventually reaches its planned capacity of 160 million passengers a year in a decade's time, DDF will be operating 64,000 sq m of retail space.

McLoughlin has managed to double the DDF's business six times over the last 25 years and says he plans to double it again in the next five to six years, setting a target of $2.5bn in sales.

As board member and CEO of the Dubai Aviation Club, McLoughlin was also instrumental in the creation of the Dubai Tennis Stadium, The Irish Village and the Century Village at the same site. He organises the annual Dubai Tennis Championships event and represents Dubai Duty Free on the Board of Dubai Airports Group.
 

 
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