Michel Chalhoub, founder and chairman of Dubai-based luxury retailer Chalhoub Group, has died at the age of 89, according to a statement released via the company’s official Twitter account.

Chalhoub was born in Damascus, Syria, in 1931 and founded Chalhoub Group there in 1955 with his wife, Widad.

Today, the Chalhoub Group represents LVMH in the Middle East, as well as more than 300 other brands, including Tod’s, Michael Kors, L’Occitane, Lacoste and Tory Burch. It employs about 12,000 workers in 14 countries.

Michel and Widad Chalhoub’s two sons, Anthony and Patrick, took over as co-chief executives of the group in 2001. Patrick became the sole chief executive in 2018 after the death of his brother.

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