Khaleej Times’ IT expert passes away at 63

Dubai - His first brush with the Arabian Gulf was in neighbouring Oman in the late 1980s.

Mohammed Thahir, 63, who worked with Khaleej Times as assistant manager information technology (pre-press) since 2004, passed away on Thursday morning following a cardiac arrest.

Thahir, who hailed from Thanjavur district in south India’s Tamil Nadu district, was an application support engineer and was known for his expertise in Apple Macintosh’s operating system (OS).

His first brush with the Arabian Gulf was in neighbouring Oman in the late 1980s.

Thahir, who was proficient in Arabic, came to the UAE in 1991. Initially, he had joined Ali Al Heshami Trading in Sharjah, a technical agent for the German firm, Heidelberg. He was instrumental in introducing Electronic Newspaper Systems (ENPS) in Khaleej Times in 1992.

“Later, he was hired by Galadari Printing and Publishing LLC as an application support engineer for press-press work in 2004. He was a sought-after professional in the UAE and the wider Arabian Gulf region,” said Mohan Kumar Shetty, head of production and IT (operations) and Thahir’s reporting manager.

Vaman Naik, one of Thahir’s former colleagues, remembered him fondly. He said in his condolence message: “It was a great pleasure working with him. He was a special person. He will always be in my heart. May Allah grant him eternal peace.”

Shetty added: “He will be missed by all of us for his knowledge and dedication to his job.”

Thahir is survived by his wife and two daughters, who are married.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai