DUBAI: Colm McLoughlin, an Irishman who landed in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates and helped lead Dubai Duty Free into becoming an airport retail behemoth generating billions of dollars, has died. He was 81.
McLoughlin ran Dubai Duty Free from 1983 until he retired earlier this year, a span of over 40 years that saw Dubai grow from a creekside trading port into a modern metropolis, home to the world’s tallest building and other attractions.
And all the millions of passengers coming into Dubai International Airport, now the world’s busiest for international travel, saw the rows of electronics, cigarettes, cigars, alcohol and other goods available duty-free at his stores, hawked by a salesforce in green suit jackets, yellow ties and conversing in multiple languages.
“It’s a very Middle Eastern kind of thing,” McLoughlin told the Los Angeles Times in 1987 as he showed off its gold market. “We have to cater to a lot of tastes.”
Dubai Duty Free said in a statement that McLoughlin died Wednesday after a short illness, without elaborating. 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.
Born in Ballinasloe, Ireland, in 1943, McLoughlin joined Shannon Airport’s first-in-the-world duty-free operation in 1969. In July 1983, he came with a 10-man team to Dubai to set up the sandy airport’s duty-free operation. His six-month contract ended up stretching into 40 years.
Like the rest of the aviation industry, Dubai Duty Free took a hit during the years of the coronavirus pandemic and airline groundings. But sales have since bounced back. In 2023 alone, under McLoughlin, Dubai Duty Free sold 6 million cans of beer, 2.3 million bottles of whiskey, 2.3 million cartons of cigarettes, 10.2 million cigars and 3.3 million bottles of perfume.
One big segment has been Chinese travelers, after Dubai Duty Free worked to accept their credit cards, had staff speaking Mandarin and put in goods they wanted.
“We would be silly if we didn’t take advantage of it and try to serve them,” McLoughlin told The Associated Press in 2012.
And many a bleary-eyed traveler in Dubai’s cavernous airport tried their luck at the constant raffles being offered, whether for $1 million, a luxury automobile or a racing motorcycle.
McLoughlin also was known for Dubai Duty Free’s sponsorship of tennis and golf tournaments, as well as his work supporting Dubai’s Irish community. He 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.”
McLoughlin is survived by his wife Breeda, son Niall, daughters Tyna and Mandy, and their families.
Colm McLoughlin, Irishman who led Dubai Duty Free to become an airport retail giant, dies at age 81
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Colm McLoughlin, Irishman who led Dubai Duty Free to become an airport retail giant, dies at age 81
- Colm McLoughlin ran Dubai Duty Free from 1983 until he retired earlier this year
- He helped lead Dubai Duty Free into becoming an airport retail behemoth generating billions of dollars
Israeli military admits to shooting at ambulances
- Hamas spokesman Basem Naim accused Israel of carrying out “a deliberate and brutal massacre against Civil Defense and Palestinian Red Crescent teams in the city of Rafah”
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Israel’s military admitted Saturday it had fired on ambulances in the Gaza Strip after identifying them as “suspicious vehicles,” with Hamas condemning it as a “war crime” that killed at least one person.
The incident took place last Sunday in the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood in the southern city of Rafah, close to the Egyptian border.
Israeli troops launched an offensive there on March 20, two days after the army resumed aerial bombardments of Gaza following an almost two-month-long truce.
Israeli troops had “opened fire toward Hamas vehicles and eliminated several Hamas terrorists,” the military said in a statement to AFP.
“A few minutes afterward, additional vehicles advanced suspiciously toward the troops... The troops responded by firing toward the suspicious vehicles, eliminating a number of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists.”
The military did not say if there was fire coming from the vehicles.
It added that “after an initial inquiry, it was determined that some of the suspicious vehicles... were ambulances and fire trucks,” and condemned “the repeated use” by “terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip of ambulances for terrorist purposes.”
The day after the incident, Gaza’s civil defense agency said in a statement that it had not heard from a team of six rescuers from Tal Al-Sulta who had been urgently dispatched to respond to deaths and injuries.
On Friday, it reported finding the body of the team leader and the rescue vehicles — an ambulance and a firefighting vehicle — and said a vehicle from the Palestine Red Crescent Society was also “reduced to a pile of scrap metal.”
Hamas spokesman Basem Naim accused Israel of carrying out “a deliberate and brutal massacre against Civil Defense and Palestinian Red Crescent teams in the city of Rafah.”
“The targeted killing of rescue workers — who are protected under international humanitarian law — constitutes a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions and a war crime,” he said.
Tom Fletcher, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that since March 18, “Israeli airstrikes in densely populated areas have killed hundreds of children and other civilians.”
“Patients killed in their hospital beds. Ambulances shot at. First responders killed,” he said in a statement.
“If the basic principles of humanitarian law still count, the international community must act while it can to uphold them.”
Video obtained by AP shows settler assault on small Palestinian village with rare clarity
- A number of settlers pile out of them and run out of the frame, and the screams of Palestinian women can be heard
- Palestinians and rights groups say Israeli forces usually turn a blind eye or intervene on behalf of the settlers
JERUSALEM: Over a dozen Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian village in the southern Israeli-occupied West Bank on Friday, beating residents with sticks and rocks, in an incident captured with rare clarity by security cameras. The video obtained by AP and testimonies from Palestinian witnesses appeared to conflict with the account of the attack provided by Israeli police and military, who arrested over 20 Palestinians afterwards.
The violence in the village of Jinba follows a settler attack earlier this week in a nearby village in which Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” was left bloodied and bruised before being detained by Israeli soldiers for about 20 hours.
The videos provide uncommonly stark images of the type of settler assault Palestinians in the West Bank say now occurs frequently. They say radical Jewish settlers rarely, if ever, face repercussions for attacking Palestinian communities, while Palestinians are often rounded up in droves and detained by Israeli forces.
Settlers descend on Jinba
AP obtained footage from two security cameras belonging to the Al-Amur family, whose home came under attack. Footage from one camera shows a jeep, an ATV and a white pick-up truck speed up to the edge of the village.
A number of settlers pile out of them and run out of the frame, and the screams of Palestinian women can be heard. The settlers then return into view, and at least 15 of them ascend a slope, getting closer to the camera.
Many are masked, at least three are carrying bats or sticks, and one is armed with an assault rifle. One can be seen throwing a rock, then bending to collect more.
The matriarch of the Al-Amur family, Oula Awad, said she saw the settlers approaching her house between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM, as she was doing laundry outside with her daughter. Her son, Qusai, 17, and husband, Aziz, 63, were washing up to prepare for Ramadan prayers when the settlers pulled up in vehicles and emerged.
“The settler runs toward me and told me, ‘Don’t wave. Do not move forward. We will hit you,’” she said.
In security footage taken from a different camera at the house, she and her daughter, 16-year-old Handa, are seen screaming and waving clothes in the air, calling for help. At one point, Awad makes a motion waving her arms. It is not clear if she throws something at a settler rushing toward her.
The settlers are then seen converging on Qusai. One settler begins hitting him with a stick as he tries to run away. Another settler smashes his head with a rock, sending him to the ground. Four settlers then kick and beat him before running away.
Awad said the settlers locked her and her daughter in a side room as they beat her younger son, Ahmad, and her husband Aziz.
“They entered the room and hit the windows,” said Awad. They tried to burn the furniture. “My husband was standing on the stairs, and they started beating him.”
A video taken by Qusai and shared with the AP showed Ahmad on the ground with a head laceration. Aziz lies nearby, his face bloodied.
Five Palestinians remain in hospitals. Aziz had a chest injury and underwent surgery for skull fractures; Ahmed, 16, is in intensive care. Qusai suffered a broken arm, bruises and cuts. Another villager, Maher Mohammed, had cuts and bruises, as did his son Osama, who was also undergoing kidney examinations.
Nidal Younis, the head of the Masafer Yatta village council, witnessed part of the attack and was detained by police for two hours afterward. He said soldiers who arrived on scene following the attack prevented Palestinians from nearby villages from helping and threw stun grenades at homes, a claim to which the military did not respond.
Police and military provide a conflicting account
Following the incident, Israeli police said they detained 22 Palestinians from the village on suspicion of stone throwing and brought them in for further investigation.
They said Palestinians had attacked two settler shepherds nearby, minorly injuring them.
“The security forces view the series of attacks in the area seriously, and will take strong action to bring those involved to justice,” the police said. They did not respond when asked by the AP why no Israeli civilians were arrested.
The military gave a somewhat different account, saying an Israeli civilian had been attacked and injured by militants near an Israeli settlement.
Then, it said “a violent confrontation developed between a number of Israeli civilians and Palestinians,” injuring another Israeli civilian.
Masafer Yatta was designated by the Israeli military as a live-fire training zone in the 1980s, and the military has ordered the expulsion of the residents, mostly Arab Bedouin. Around 1,000 residents have largely remained in place, but soldiers regularly come in to demolish homes, tents, water tanks and olive orchards.
Palestinians and rights groups say Israeli forces usually turn a blind eye or intervene on behalf of the settlers.
The war in Gaza has sparked a surge of violence in the West Bank, with the Israeli military carrying out widescale military operations that have killed hundreds of Palestinians and displaced tens of thousands. There has been a rise in settler violence as well as Palestinian attacks on Israelis.
Macron blasts Israel strikes on Beirut after Paris talks with Aoun
- French president: ‘We recognize and stand with Lebanon’s challenges’
- Syrian leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa joins Aoun, Macron in Paris by video call to discuss broader situation
BEIRUT: French President Emmanuel Macron declared his “solidarity with the people of Beirut following Israel’s targeting of the southern suburb of Beirut on Friday.
Macron on Friday criticized Israel for what he called “unacceptable strikes on Beirut” that he said did not respect the ceasefire and played into Hezbollah’s hands.
He said that the strikes on Beirut “are unacceptable.”
Macron made the comments at a joint press conference in Paris with President Joseph Aoun.
Developments on the ground in Lebanon overshadowed Aoun’s talks in Paris on Friday.
Aoun began his meeting at the Elysee Palace with Macron and held a direct call with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa.
FASTFACT
President Joseph Aoun began his meeting at the Elysee Palace with President Emmanuel Macron and held a direct video call with President Ahmad Al-Sharaa.
They were later joined by the Cypriot President and the Greek Prime Minister in five-party discussions.
The talks in Paris aim to raise the issue of Syrian refugees and explore ways to address it, a source in the Lebanese presidency told Arab News.
At the joint press conference following the meeting, Aoun said: “The Israeli attacks on the southern suburb of Beirut and the threats are a continuation of Israel’s violation of the ceasefire agreement sponsored by France and the US.
“The international community must put an end to these aggressions and force Israel to adhere to the agreement, as Lebanon is committed to it.”
At Friday’s press conference, Aoun called for “forcing the concerned states to compel Israel to cease its hostilities on Lebanon.”
Macron emphasized that France was standing with Lebanon because it recognized its immense challenges.
He indicated that “the tension on both sides of the Blue Line is a turning point, and France remains by Lebanon’s side to preserve its sovereignty, ensure full security, and implement the ceasefire reached with Israel.”
He stressed that “the Israeli army must withdraw from the five points in southern Lebanon,” noting that “the strikes on Beirut are unacceptable.”
He said: “We will present practical and realistic proposals, considering the expectations of Lebanon and Israel.
“We have proposed that UNIFIL troops be deployed in sensitive areas in the south, in coordination with the army and under the supervision of the monitoring committee.”
Macron said: “Aid to Lebanon is linked to restoring the functionality of its institutions, as this is the key to obtaining aid from the international community.”
He added: “We believe in the importance of the reform agenda set by the Lebanese president, and we will meet with Lebanon’s friends to support the framework initiated by the Lebanese executive authorities to implement a first set of aid.”
He said that Lebanon “needs an efficient energy sector to avoid remaining vulnerable to economic instability and to attract investments. France is ready to offer its expertise and companies to assist in this field.”
Aoun told Le Figaro that Lebanon “cannot tolerate being part of any axis.”
When asked if Lebanon was out of the so-called “Iranian-Shiite axis,” Aoun replied: “Lebanon, due to its geographical location, cannot tolerate being part of any axis.
“The importance of Lebanon lies in its diversity, and in the solidarity and internal unity of its people. It is this unity that will protect it from all dangers.
“In my oath of office, I spoke about Lebanon’s neutrality. However, neutrality does not mean we do not stand in solidarity with Arab states.”
Asked about the disarmament of Hezbollah, President Aoun said that “the Lebanese army has already dismantled several Hezbollah-aligned or pro-Iranian Palestinian camps, including one near Beirut, two in the north near Tripoli, and three others in the Bekaa Valley.”
“More than 250 weapons seizures have taken place in areas south of the Litani River, with many of the confiscated arms either destroyed or, if in a good state, transferred to the Lebanese Army. The army, which must be strengthened to 77,000 personnel, is carrying out its duty,” Aoun added.
He also said: “The Council of Ministers has approved the recruitment of 4,500 additional soldiers to bolster security in the south.
“However, the entire country needs defense and protection, not just the south.
“The issue of Palestinian weapons remains unresolved, and we must address it in coordination with the Palestinian Authority. We want our army to have control over all Lebanese territory.
“The state alone must hold the monopoly on arms and the legitimate use of force. This demand is as national as it is international.”
Aoun emphasized Lebanon’s full commitment to UN Resolution 1701 and criticized Israel’s ongoing violations of the agreement.
“We learned our lesson from our past experiences with Israel. Therefore, we continue to work diplomatically with France, the US, and the international community to ensure Israel’s full withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the release of Lebanese hostages, and the final demarcation of land borders.”
Aoun also announced that Lebanon “will begin addressing the demarcation of the Lebanese-Syrian land and sea borders, as well as the issue of Syrian refugees.”
Also on Friday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Defense Minister Michel Menassa.
According to Salam’s media office, Menassa visited Jeddah on Wednesday night with a security delegation and met his Syrian counterpart, Marhaf Abu Qasra.
The two sides signed an agreement on the importance of border demarcation, forming joint legal committees in various fields and activating coordination mechanisms.
The Saudi Press Agency reported that the meeting took place under the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman attended the meeting.
UN chief calls for action over ‘perfect storm’ engulfing South Sudan
- War-torn country ‘at a crossroads,’ Antonio Guterres warns amid escalating violence, attacks on civilians
- ‘Horn of Africa cannot afford another conflict,’ Guterres says after urging an end to ‘politics of confrontation’
NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged both South Sudan’s leadership and the international community to act swiftly to prevent further devastation in the war-torn country, warning that ethnic and political targeting by security forces could spiral into a broader regional conflict.
Referring to the escalating violence in South Sudan, including airstrikes on civilians, Guterres said: “All the dark clouds of a perfect storm have descended upon the people of the world’s newest country — and one of the poorest.”
On Wednesday, an armed convoy led by the nation’s top security officials, including its defense minister, entered the home of First Vice President Riek Machar in Juba, disarmed his bodyguards and placed him under house arrest.
Tensions between Machar and President Salva Kiir had been worsening for several weeks. In August 2018, the two leaders reached a peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war between their forces, which had resulted in almost 400,000 deaths.
However, In the seven years since, their relationship has grown more strained due to ethnic conflicts and occasional outbreaks of violence. Machar’s party said his detention effectively signaled the collapse of the peace deal.
This week, the UN reported that barrel bombs thought to contain highly flammable liquid were used in airstrikes during clashes between the army and a rebel group formerly associated with Machar.
Speaking to reporters in New York, Guterres said that “the peace agreement is in shambles,” and called for the immediate release of all detained officials and the full restoration of the Government of National Unity, which he described as crucial to moving toward peace.
“The Horn of Africa is already in turmoil and cannot afford another conflict,” he warned, “and nor can the people of South Sudan.”
Directly addressing the South Sudanese leadership, Guterres said: “End the politics of confrontation. Release detained military and civilian officials now. Fully restore the Government of National Unity. And vigorously implement the promises you made through your commitments to the peace agreement — which is the only legal framework to peaceful, free and fair elections in December 2026.”
The humanitarian situation in South Sudan is alarming, with almost 75 percent of the population requiring aid and at least half facing severe food insecurity. A cholera outbreak is adding to the crisis.
Over 1 million refugees have fled to neighboring countries, primarily Sudan, since fighting erupted. Guterres also noted a catastrophic economic collapse, with oil revenues plummeting and inflation soaring to 300 percent.
With the world’s youngest country facing such dire circumstances, the UN secretary-general warned of the potential for a repeat of the civil wars in 2013 and 2016.
Guterres called for renewed diplomatic efforts, emphasizing the need for dialogue and de-escalation.
“South Sudan is at a crossroads,” he said. “For the sake of the long-suffering people, it is time for all parties to put down the weapons and focus on rebuilding the country.”
The UN chief said that he had spoken with the chairperson of the African Union Commission and expressed strong support for the AU’s initiative to deploy the “Panel of the Wise” and for continuing efforts by Kenyan President William Ruto’s special envoy.
Despite the urgency of the situation, Guterres lamented that South Sudan has largely faded from international attention. He pleaded for increased diplomatic and financial support to address the mounting crisis.
“The people of South Sudan are close to my heart. They had enormous hopes and aspirations, but sadly, they have not had the leadership they deserve.”
There have been increasing international calls for a unified stance on the peace process in South Sudan, with the UN, AU, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development trade bloc all urging the restoration of peace and stability.
US working with partners including Saudi Arabia to end fighting in Sudan
- Washington focused on bringing much-needed assistance to Sudanese people, State Dept. deputy spokesperson tells Asharq Al-Awsat
- US expects all foreign parties to play constructive role in resolving the crisis, Mignon Houston said
WASHINGTON: The US is fully committed to ending the conflict in Sudan, working closely with regional and international partners — including Saudi Arabia — to bring about a cessation of hostilities and pave the way for a civilian-led government, an official said on Friday.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Mignon Houston, the deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, said Washington’s priority in Sudan was to “stop the fighting.”
She said that the new administration of President Donald Trump has remained deeply engaged in Sudan and has not taken sides in the conflict, instead focusing on supporting the Sudanese people’s aspirations for a democratic and stable future.
“We know the situation in Sudan is catastrophic. It’s the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. What we’re seeing in Sudan is deplorable, and it’s important for observers and the world to know that the US remains very engaged in this issue,” Houston said.
The US is working through multiple diplomatic channels, engaging with the African Union, the UN, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, Saudi Arabia, and other key regional actors, Houston told the newspaper.
“Our diplomatic efforts include engaging with these organizations and governments to push for a cessation of hostilities because we know this is the only way to achieve lasting peace in Sudan, create a unified Sudan, and give the Sudanese people the future they deserve,” she added.
Houston made it clear that Washington expected all foreign parties to play a constructive role in resolving the crisis, warning against engaging in negative interference.
“We have been very explicit about the need for the intervention of partners and other countries in the crisis to be constructive and lead to a cessation of hostilities. Otherwise, these countries will be complicit in prolonging the conflict, complicit in creating more suffering for the Sudanese people, and complicit in creating more instability — this will not lead to peace,” she said.
The US has also been applying diplomatic pressure through economic measures, with 31 sanctions currently imposed on both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Houston described these as a crucial tool in pushing both sides toward the negotiating table and an eventual ceasefire.
Beyond efforts through diplomatic channels, Houston highlighted the need for much-needed humanitarian assistance, revealing that Washington was actively working with international partners to support Sudanese civilians and refugees in neighboring countries.
“The US administration is also working on the humanitarian front, with significant work being done with implementing partners to support the vital needs of people in Sudan, as well as refugees in neighboring countries, and to support their efforts to accept refugees,” she said.
Houston said that during the first two weeks of March alone, 1.2 million people facing the risk of famine received life-saving humanitarian aid.
However, she added that no meaningful economic recovery or investment into Sudan could take place until the violence was stopped.
“At this time, we will focus on the Sudanese people and ending the fighting. Both parties are responsible for the destruction in Sudan and for regional instability. Therefore, our focus remains on bringing the parties to the negotiating table to create the conditions for humanitarian assistance to reach those who need it, above all else.”
Houston made it clear that Washington held both warring factions accountable for the devastation in Sudan.
“We have been very clear in this position that both sides have engaged in harmful actions that have destabilized the country and created a state of general instability,” she said.
“We have called on both sides to work together to create a political process that will lead to the establishment of a civilian-led government.”
She also underscored the role of Washington’s regional partners in mediating the crisis, urging them to prioritize the needs of the Sudanese people above political interests.
“What is more important than anything else is focusing on the needs of the Sudanese people; their needs right now should come first,” she said.
Houston also said that under the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department continues to work with humanitarian organizations and is calling on donor nations to increase their support.
“The department also continues to call on regional actors and international governments to do more, and on donor countries to do more, because what we are seeing in Sudan and South Sudan demonstrates the importance of a concerted global effort to resolve the crisis.”
