Up close and personal with big Magdy Al Sheikh at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

by Martin Moodie |
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Martin Moodie

Martin Moodie is the Founder & Chairman of The Moodie Report.

Any visitor to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships down the years will likely have encountered a big, ebullient and welcoming member of the team called Magdy Al Sheikh.

Magdy, who hails from Egypt, is a key member of the retailer’s outstanding Dubai Duty Free marketing team. But at the annual Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (which embraces week-long men’s and women’s ATP and WTA tournaments, respectively, which attract some of the game’s biggest stars), he plays his own unique role.

Magdy is Mr. Fix-it at the tennis. Need to find a seat for a VIP at the last second? Ask Magdy. A problem with a spectator moving during rallies? Speak to Magdy. Need a security man that no-one dares mess with? Get Magdy. Want someone that the players feel safe with? Yep, Magdy is your man.

Magdy on the ball as always
Magdy with men’s winner Novak Djokovic

And a selfie with women’s champion Simona Halep
Magdy with ‘the boss’, Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Colm McLoughlin and Breeda McLouglin
With men’s runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas

While he is a unique character, Magdy also epitomizes the common values that have made Dubai Duty Free such a remarkable and sustained success stories over the past 37 years. He is passionate about the company, about his role, about his colleagues, and (as you will hear on the Podcast below), his boss Colm McLoughlin.

Magdy has been part of a great corporate story. But what’s his own story? Somehow I managed to slow him down in between matches on men’s semi-final day to discover some of what makes big Magdy tick. Take a listen below.