Team size: Two

Jurisdictions your role covers: Kuwait, UAE, Netherlands and other jurisdictions in the Middle East 

What are the major cases or transactions you have been involved in recently?

Over the past few years, I have led several complex and high-value legal matters that were instrumental to IHS’s strategic expansion across the MENA region: 

As Legal Lead, I secured FDI approval from KDIPA and led the incorporation of IHS Kuwait, the first independent TowerCo licensed in Kuwait and a first-of-its-kind TowerCo in the region. This required navigating complex regulatory landscapes, negotiating with multiple government authorities, and developing an innovative compliance framework that aligned with both telecom and FDI regulations. 

Upon joining IHS, I established the in-house legal function in Kuwait from scratch, recruiting legal talent, drafting and standardising key supplier contracts, and creating a suite of templates to support day-to-day operations. Throughout this journey, I developed trust and strong working relationships across internal and external stakeholders. I further serve as a strategic business partner and a member of the Kuwait executive leadership team, ensuring legal alignment with business goals, driving proactive risk mitigation, and enabling smooth execution of core commercial activities.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience? 

Resilience begins with legal foresight. During uncertain times, I adopt a proactive legal strategy grounded in three core pillars: 

Anticipate: We embed legal risk mapping into strategic planning, allowing us to proactively identify regulatory and commercial friction points early, before they escalate.

Align: I engage closely with C-level executives and group leadership to ensure legal actions actively support business continuity, cost optimisation, and compliance under pressure. This includes contract renegotiations, regulatory fast-tracking, and forward-looking scenario planning to mitigate legal exposure.

Adapt: My team is trained to shift seamlessly between response and recovery. During COVID-19, we implemented remote legal governance while meeting all regulatory deadlines, ensuring continuity without disruption. 

This strategic approach has positioned Legal as a business enabler, not just a safeguard, helping accelerate execution, reduce risk, and drive resilience even in moments of volatility. 

What emerging technologies do you see as having the most significant impact on the legal profession in the near future, and how do you stay updated on these developments? 

I believe legal technology is no longer a “nice to have”; it’s becoming the cornerstone of the modern in-house legal function, shaping the next frontier for legal teams and transforming how we deliver value, manage risk, and scale operations across jurisdictions. 

From contract lifecycle management tools that track thousands of telecom leases, to AI-driven document review that accelerates compliance and due diligence, technology is allowing legal teams to shift from reactive to strategic. 

To stay ahead of the curve, I actively engage with ACC MENA events, subscribe to leading legal innovation platforms, and participate in legal tech pilots across the Group. I also maintain ongoing knowledge exchange and regularly share insights with legal peers across Kuwait, Dubai, Egypt, and London, enabling us to benchmark best practices and continuously evolve our legal function for the future. 

Ultimately, legal teams that embrace this evolution will not only gain operational efficiency but will also lead in shaping the profession’s next chapter into a smarter, more connected, and more strategic future.