IBA Annual Conference Miami 2022
30 Oct - 4 Nov 2022
Room 235, Level 2
Session information
The booming legal market in Saudi Arabia: opportunities and challenges
Monday 31 October (1115 - 1230)
Committee(s)
Arab Regional Forum
(Lead)
Description
The Saudi Arabian economy grew at its fastest past in a decade in the third quarter of 2021, leading to growth in not only a myriad of industries but also to a boom in the legal services sector. Kingdom's vision (2030) foresees a promising future for the legal services sector by increasing the number of regulating legislations and amendments: New Companies Laws, Financial Market Regulations, Competition Rules, Law of Evidence … This new and moving legal frame will be covered by specialists from KSA , the region and beyond. The increasing presence of major law firms is also undeniable in the following industries: Corporate/M&A, Capital Markets, Banking & Finance and Real Estate, Construction & Infrastructure projects, Energy (oil, gas, and mining). Furthermore, the panel will tackle how Saudi lawyers are trained and the legal profession is regulated including through the Saudi Bar Association, and the route to becoming a lawyer in the KSA. We’ll thus also cover the key legal players in KSA and in the region. The panel will then turn to discussing the various sources of legislation in the Saudi legal system, including Shariah and the influence of civil and common laws, as well as how the Saudi judiciary actually works. At last, there will be a lot to say about the 2012 Enforcement and Arbitration Laws and the rising Saudi Centre for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA).
Session / Workshop Chair(s)
Professor Mohamed Abdel Wahab | Zulficar & Partners, Cairo, Egypt; Co-Chair, Arab Regional Forum |
Jalal El Ahdab | Bird & Bird LLP, Paris, France; Member, Mediation Committee Advisory Board |
Speakers
Sara Aalamri | AlGhazzawi & Partners, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
Vernon Cassin Jr | Chief Legal Officer, Al Khozama Management Company, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
Sara Koleilat-Aranjo | Morgan Lewis & Bockius, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Secretary, Arab Regional Forum |
Hamed Merah | Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
Reed Runnels | Omar Alrasheed & Partners, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |