Managing Partner's Foreword

Welcome to this
month’s Law Update

This is the final Law Update of 2022 and it provides us with an opportunity to look back and reflect. The year has seen us, as a region, triumph against the backdrop of COVID-19 and create a momentum that has had a positive impact on a socioeconomic level. Throughout 2022 we have endeavoured to share articles with you that provide timely insights into the region’s commercial and legal landscape. This is particularly true of our focus section in each edition, where we place a spotlight on the vital sectors driving the region’s economies.

The sectors we focused on in 2022 included, Healthcare, Financial Services, Retail, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Real Estate, Education, and Sports and Events. Each edition was created by our experts with the objective of sharing the most relevant regulatory developments with you. For our teams it’s been one of the busiest years, and through Law Update they have kept you updated on matters such as healthcare regulatory developments, fintech regulation, the future of retail, cybercrime laws, reforming real estate laws, and with Qatar hosting the World Cup we shared information that is aligned to the event, such as data protection. There was so much more covered across all our editions, and I believe the breadth of updates, and their implementation, points to a region that is forward thinking and buoyant.

In this edition we continue our sector focus by spotlighting the Energy, Resources and Transport sectors. These sectors are historically significant to the Middle East and North Africa and will play a pivotal role in the progress the region makes in the coming years, particularly with energy demand continuing to rise and the public and private sector looking at alternatives.

The region is also cementing its place as a transport hub, and there are new projects and regulations that are modernising the sector. For the three areas covered in this edition, I expect public-private partnerships, and FDI to play a vital role in ensuring their progress in 2023 and beyond.

The themes covered across both focus sections are broad, and we have insights from jurisdictions such as, Oman, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Qatar, and the UAE. The Energy and Resources focus features important topics such as diversifying energy resources, solar PV, mining in the Middle East, renewable energy and green hydrogen. From a transport perspective, we draw attention to the Bahrain metro project, discuss the challenges and remedies associated with the repossession of an aircraft, and there is advice on what to consider should a party vary the terms of a shipping contract. That’s only a small sample, there are many more articles that make up both focus sections, all providing expert commentary, advice, and updates.

Outside the focus pages we have a number of articles covering important updates that look into a variety of areas, such as the personal status laws in Saudi Arabia, money laundering, and family business, to name a few. As always, in our final section we continue to share with you real life judgements that provide context to the legal landscape in the region.

Law Update in 2022 has demonstrated how broad our service offering is across the MENA region, and in 2023 we will ensure you continue to receive vital updates. I hope that you enjoy this issue and should you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any of the lawyers that have contributed.