Shipping legend George Varghese dead
General manager of shipping conglomerate Rais Hassan Saadi collapses during golf game.
The man credited with putting the Middle East on the global cruise map, George Varghese, has died. Close friends say he collapsed during a game of golf last Thursday. His funeral was held on Tuesday.
A native of Chennai, Varghese’s career spanned all sectors of the industry, but it will be the three decades he spent at the heart of the Dubai shipping scene that he will be most remembered for.
“The industry and the cruise community lost a stalwart, an out-of-the-box thinker, a leader, and an avid golfer,” said Shantanu Mehta, executive director of cruise tour agency Orient Tours.
Shipping lawyer Jasmine Fichte of Fichte & Co said: “I consider him an icon! He is well known in the maritime and cruise circles in the UAE and globally. He had a good word for everybody and was always witty, whilst humble. He was very loyal to Rais Hassan Saadi and he loved the UAE. I will miss him terribly.”
