Overview

At Mayer Brown, we are committed to meeting our clients’ needs in the Middle East and offer a devoted team that is uniquely focused on the region and the many issues and opportunities that it presents. Our team provides exceptional on-the-ground experience in key jurisdictions, advising clients entering, exiting, expanding, and operating in or from the Middle East.

With decades of combined experience, our team’s deep personal and professional knowledge of the region, as well as its tried-and-tested network of trusted relationships, allow us to understand the intricacies of doing business in the Middle East—legal and otherwise—and how to avoid the many pitfalls of operating there. Our comprehensive understanding of the issues—and ability to navigate them skilfully and pragmatically—allow us to help our clients maximize their chances of a successful outcome.

By design, our team demonstrates fluency and facility with the laws, practices, norms and trends of both the Middle East and the West. Being legally, commercially, and culturally ambidextrous is a hallmark of our practice, and we are as comfortable in London, Paris and New York as we are in Dubai, Doha and Riyadh. Our lawyers are fluent in Arabic, English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Mayer Brown’s Middle East team represents a unique breadth and depth of experience across a broad spectrum of matters, industries and geographies. From modest start-ups to major multinationals, from princes to private equity funds, from local governments to global banks—we bring the breadth of our experience to bear on all client matters.

Experience

Construction

Represented:

One of the largest national oil companies in the UAE in respect of claims made by a contractor arising out of a project for the development of an oilfield in the Al Dhafra region, Abu Dhabi.
One of the largest Spanish infrastructure contractors in relation to a dispute arising in connection with the USD 2 billion expansion of the Dubai metro.
A multinational company with commercial presence in more than 30 countries in a dispute with an international energy services company in relation to Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and Instrumentation works as part of the Lower Fars Heavy Oil Development Programme.
Two of the largest and most active construction contractors in the Middle East in ADCCAC proceedings against a key subcontractor on an airport terminal project.
The main contractor on the MASAR Project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its claims against the employer, a development and construction company.

Advised:

One of the largest, privately owned industrial companies in the Gulf region on a KWD 61 million dispute with a global leading Energy, Construction and Procurement Company (Kuwait branch) in relation to Work carried out at the Al-Zour Refinery Project in Al-Zour, Kuwait.

Corporate, Commercial and M&A

Advised

Accenture in leading a consortium of companies for the restructuring of the UAE Central Bank’s National Payment Systems Strategy.
Assisted MAG Group in an acquisition of a real estate development in Morocco.
Saudia Airlines and its affiliates in connection with the recapitalization of a Saudi Arabia-based helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul joint venture, with Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), a state-owned defense company.
Anchorage Investments on all legal aspects relating to developing its state-of-the-art Anchor Benitoite Project in Suez, Egypt. This project encompasses a number of production units producing a total of 1.75 million tonnes of petrochemical products and intermediates annually.
Cruise, a US-based autonomous vehicle company, on its strategic alliance with the government of Dubai (Roads and Transport Authority - RTA) to provide and operate a fleet of autonomous ride-hailing services in the Emirates.
An American multinational healthcare company on its exit of its renal clinics business and joint venture, by way of a stock sale in Saudi Arabia.
Caesars Palace Hotel in Dubai on its exit from a joint venture with the Dubai government.
An Irish-American professional services company based in Dublin, specializing in information technology services, on its consulting projects in Saudi Arabia and, often, with Saudi government agencies, including its recent USD 300 million engagement to manage Saudia Airlines’s customer interfacing platforms (kiosks, apps, and other customer care initiatives).
A Saudi investment firm on its acquisition of an equity stake in a Delaware-based cybersecurity and fraud detection business with a USD 2 billion valuation.
A member of the royal family in Saudi Arabia on his seed investment in Fuel Me Holdings. Fuel Me Holdings is a cloud-based technology platform that allows on-road and off-road customers in the United States to purchase fuel anywhere and at any time.
A Saudi defense firm in the acquisition of a US helicopter repair business in the United States.
STC on a significant joint venture with Alcazar Capital (UAE-DIFC) for the development, construction, and operation of a data center in Bahrain.
A global company serving customers in automotive technology in a joint venture with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia for the set-up of the largest vehicle production facility in the Middle East.
Mawarid Mining in connection with the development of a copper project in Oman.
MHP, a Ukrainian food distributor, on a dispute related to the termination of a construction contract with Al Khateeb, a Saudi contractor.
Woods Bagot, an Australian architectural firm, in a commercial dispute before Dubai courts.
Munich RE, a German multinational insurance company based in Munich, in a commercial arbitration before the Saudi Centre for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA).
An American company that develops and manufactures elevators in a subcontractor arbitration.
Two of the largest and most active construction contractors in the Middle East in Abu Dhabi Commercial Conciliation & Arbitration Centre (ADCCAC) proceedings against one of the most important airports in the Middle East, one of the largest-value arbitration proceedings ongoing in the Middle East.
A leading contractor, based in Kuwait, in a dispute arising out of a project for the construction of one of the tallest residential towers in Sabah, Kuwait.
A digital payment gateway company in DIFC-LCIA arbitration proceedings in relation to a claim brought by a shareholder and former board member, in a dispute governed by English law.
One of the leading real estate developers in Dubai, the respondent in DIAC arbitration proceedings.
A Lebanese bank against a telecom operator in the region in arbitration proceedings administered by the Lebanese Arbitration and Mediation Centre in connection with a subordination agreement for a loan that was the subject matter of previous arbitration proceedings challenged before the Lebanese courts.

Employment & Compliance

We represent Middle Eastern and multinational companies on their labor and employment matters in the UAE, including:

Employee onboarding
Employment agreements and policies
Secondment arrangements
Terminations and grievances
Government/Ministry of Labor investigations
Cultural and best practices trainings
Employee suits before the Ministry of Labor courts in the UAE

Compliance

We represent Middle Eastern and multinational companies on a wide variety of regulatory and compliance issues, compliance investigations, sensitive whistleblower investigations, bribery investigations, and other FCPA, UK Bribery Act, and OFAC-related investigations in the Middle East and North Africa. We have advised companies on local regulations and regulatory issues across the Gulf, especially in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Energy

Advised:

The Chinese National Oil Company (CNPC) in its projects in the UAE, including its UAE subsidiaries involved in petroleum projects in Africa.
The Mozambican National Oil Company (ENH) in its projects in the UAE, including its UAE subsidiaries involved in the financing of its natural gas projects in Africa.
The Angolan National Oil Company (Sonangol) in the planning of its UAE subsidiaries involved in its petroleum projects in Africa and Latin America.
The Angolan National Oil Company (Sonangol) in the negotiation of a sharing agreement with Iraq.
The Arabian Petroleum Supply Co. (APSCO) in its projects in Africa, including Mozambique and Uganda.

Represented:

Qatar Energy in the second transfer of rights surplus bid round promoted by ANP, which offered developing areas of Atapu and Sépia, located in the Santos Basin. We advised Qatar Energy in Brazil in the relevant legal regulatory tax matters related to this complex and unique global upstream opportunity, which combines both the acquisition of Petrobras assets and an E&P license offered by the Brazilian government (under the PSC regime).
Diatoms on the potential acquisition of indirect equity interest in the Landulpho Alves Refinery (“RLAM”) and related storage terminal and pipeline infrastructure in Bahia, together with contracts and other related assets and liabilities from Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – PETROBRAS. In the proposed corporate structure, Diatoms would invest together with Mubadala Investment Fund, the sovereign fund of Abu-Dhabi, on a foreign vehicle which will have indirect participation in RLAM.

Major Projects & Finance

Represented:

BluePeak Private Capital GP on the USD 20 million secured structured term loan facility to the ieng group. The USD 20 million investment supports ieng’s geographic expansion plan across the continent.
Al Khair Capital,a leading Saudi financial services company, in connection with the arrangement of a public Sukuk issuance by Al Kathiri Holding, a Saudi industrial and manufacturing company.
Sancta Capital GP Ltd, Sandglass Capital Advisors LLC, VR Advisory Services Ltd., and other members of the Ad Hoc Committee of Noteholders, who, together, are holders of the notes issued by EA Partners I B.V. and EA Partners II B.V. The committee is seeking to restructure, or otherwise resolve, the defaults under the notes arising from defaults by various underlying obligors, with respect to loans made by the issuer that were funded from the proceeds of the notes.
A leading investment and financial services company in Africa in connection with a Shari’a-compliant private credit and private equity investment into an ADGM-headquartered social media and consumer engagement platform, to help the platform grow its business in Africa.
HSBC as arranger on a USD 250 million multi-currency unsecured syndicated term and revolving loan facility provided to Rivulis Irrigation, an Israeli-headquartered global drip irrigation business, for the re-financing of its current debt, as well as the re-financing of future debt associated with acquisitions.
Africinvest in connection with a Shari’a-compliant private credit and private equity investment into ArabyAds Holding Limited, an ADGM-headquartered social media and consumer engagement platform.
Al Khair Capital in its capacity as delegate in connection with a SAR 500 million Sukuk issuance, structured as a combined Sukuk al-Murabaha and Sukuk al-Mudaraba to be issued by an SPV sponsored by AlKhathiri Holding Company.