About

Riyadh-based Fawaz Alhokair group has transformed the retail landscape in Saudi Arabia since its inception, and now operates an extensive portfolio of international brands. As the brainchild and namesake of self-made billionaire Fawaz Alhokair, the group started in 1989 with only two menswear stores and has grown exponentially since then to reach the position it now occupies at the top end of the Saudi retail market. Gor Margaryan joined Alhokair as general counsel in 2014, following an extremely successful tenure at Armenian legal firm Legelata. Margaryan is tasked with producing legal policy company-wide, providing transactional advice, registering and protecting IP and the coordination of both external and in-house legal counsel throughout their areas of operation. The business has been active lately, with transactions aimed both at expanding their existing operations into new areas and selling off assets that are surplus to requirements. In the former category, the firm announced in June 2016 that a deal has been signed with UK restaurant operator Casual Dining Group to open 18 Bella Italia outlets in Saudi Arabia, overseen by Alhokair Group. In the latter, the group has recently approved a $93mn sale of its stake in Spanish clothing retailer Blanco. This flexibility, supported effectively by the in-house legal element at Alhokair Group, allows the company to navigate the prevailing trends in the business climate in which they operate.