Colm McLoughlin, Irishman who made Dubai Duty Free a retail giant, dies aged 81

Colm McLoughlin, left, his wife Breeda, and Irish politician Enda Kenny in 2016 (Dubai Duty Free/AP)

Colm McLoughlin, an Irishman who landed in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates and helped lead Dubai Duty Free to become an airport retail behemoth, has died aged 81.

Mr McLoughlin ran Dubai Duty Free from 1983 until he retired earlier this year, a span of more than 40 years which saw Dubai grow from a river-side trading port into a modern metropolis, home to the world’s tallest building and other attractions.