Career Biography

Fawaz A. Alsadhan is an accomplished legal executive with over a decade of experience leading complex legal functions across the Saudi financial sector. As Head of Legal at SAB Invest, Alsadhan has established himself as a trusted strategic partner to the executive leadership, playing a pivotal role in driving legal innovation, safeguarding compliance, and enabling business growth.

Alsadhan oversees all legal, regulatory, and governance matters for SAB Invest, a leading capital market institution. He has led and closed high-value transactions including the negotiation of sale and purchase agreements exceeding SAR 750m, in addition to structuring and launching private and global investment funds in collaboration with international advisors. He is well-versed in Islamic finance, margin lending structures, and financial regulatory frameworks, offering comprehensive legal solutions that balance risk with commercial agility.

Under his leadership, SAB Invest’s Legal Department was recognised by the CEO as part of the company’s Center of Excellence and ranked as the number one performing department in 2025. This honor underscores the team’s effectiveness in strategic execution, compliance, and governance. Alsadhan’s initiatives have led to a 100% increase in departmental efficiency and an 80% reduction in external legal spend. He has also championed the digitization of legal operations and spearheaded a firm-wide overhaul of documentation and legal processes to ensure alignment with Saudi Arabia’s evolving legal landscape, including the Personal Data Protection Law.

Alsadhan’s prior experience includes senior legal advisory roles at Banque Saudi Fransi, Al Rajhi Bank, and Bank Albilad. At Banque Saudi Fransi, he was named “Employee of the Year” in 2023, a reflection of his outstanding performance and commitment to legal excellence. Throughout his career, he has led regulatory-driven projects such as the establishment and liquidation of financial subsidiaries, renegotiation of complex vendor agreements, ISDA documentation, securitization structuring, and international guarantee arrangements.

He is a certified Board Director by the GCC Board Directors Institute (GCC BDI), an alumnus of Harvard Law School’s “Leadership in Corporate Counsel” executive program and holds an LL.M. in Comparative Law from California Western School of Law in the United States. His academic foundation is anchored by a Bachelor of Laws from King Saud University, and his continued commitment to legal scholarship is reflected in his completion of numerous specialized programs in corporate governance, compliance, and financial regulation.

Known for his diplomatic negotiation style, Alsadhan brings a business-minded legal approach rooted in ethics, foresight, and precision. He is bilingual in Arabic and English and serves as a mentor to young legal professionals, advocating for a progressive, tech-enabled, and commercially aligned legal function. He continues to play an integral role in shaping the legal infrastructure of Saudi Arabia’s investment ecosystem.

What are the most significant cases and transactions that you have been involved in over the past year?

I played a crucial role in negotiating a SAR 700m sale and purchase agreement, ensuring favourable legal and commercial terms while mitigating risks. The transaction was strategically significant, requiring extensive regulatory approvals and complex contractual structuring. I led high-stakes negotiations with an institutional client for a SAR 300m investment management agreement, securing competitive terms and safeguarding the firm’s legal position.

I was also actively involved in advising on the launch of multiple private and offshore funds, structuring agreements in alignment with regulatory frameworks and coordinating negotiations with external counsel and fund administrators.

Some other notable achievements are leading a strategic overhaul of company policies and documentation to comply with Saudi Arabia’s Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) in collaboration with an international law firm. And successfully negotiating multi-million-dollar contracts, including IT agreements, real estate transactions, and consultancy agreements, ensuring minimal legal exposure. Concerning dispute resolutions and litigation, I defended SAB Invest in multiple cases before the Committee for Resolution of Securities Disputes and the General Court, securing favourable rulings.

Lastly, in regard to operational efficiency and cost reduction, I built an internal legal team, reducing external legal consulting fees by 80% while improving efficiency by 100% through digital transformation of legal operations.

What innovations have you made to the way your legal team works in the past year?

Over the past year, I have focused on enhancing the efficiency and strategic impact of SAB Invest’s legal function by implementing process optimisation, technology integration, and risk management enhancements. One of the key initiatives was strengthening internal capabilities to reduce dependency on external legal counsel, which resulted in a significant reduction in external legal costs while improving turnaround times for critical legal matters.

To improve workflow efficiency, I introduced standardised contract templates and automated contract review protocols, ensuring greater consistency and risk mitigation in contractual negotiations. Additionally, we developed a structured legal risk assessment framework, allowing for proactive identification and mitigation of potential legal and regulatory risks.

Recognising the increasing complexity of regulatory compliance, we also enhanced internal governance mechanisms, ensuring that legal policies and procedures are fully aligned with evolving regulatory requirements, particularly in light of Saudi Arabia’s Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and Capital Market Authority (CMA) regulations. This initiative included cross-functional training sessions to enhance awareness and compliance across departments.

By focusing on strategic legal advisory, operational efficiency, and regulatory alignment, the legal team has been able to play a more proactive and value-driven role in supporting SAB Invest’s business objectives.

Which political, economic, or regulatory changes have impacted your work the most in the past year?

The Saudi Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and evolving CMA (Capital Market Authority) regulations have had the most significant impact. My team proactively addressed compliance requirements by developing robust data privacy policies, vendor agreements, and internal training programs. Additionally, the increasing push for foreign investment and financial market expansion has required careful navigation of cross-border fund structures and investment laws.

Apart from legal matters, has the team worked on other company initiatives you would like to highlight?

Beyond legal responsibilities, we have played a key role in corporate governance, improving board and executive reporting structures, aligning company policies with global best practices, and contributing to corporate restructuring initiatives. My legal team has also been instrumental in SAB Invest’s digital transformation strategy, ensuring compliance in fintech and AI-driven investment products. The legal team is actively exploring the application of AI in contract review, regulatory compliance tracking, and due diligence to enhance efficiency and minimise human error.