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

Over the past year, I have continued to serve as the primary legal representative for both Unilever companies in Saudi Arabia, handling all legal matters involving government authorities and third parties. The scope of the companies’ activities includes manufacturing, trade, distribution, marketing, and related operations. While I am unable to disclose specific case details due to confidentiality, I am proud to maintain a strong track record — I have not lost a single case since joining Unilever nearly 10 years ago.

My work has included managing high-stakes matters with key government bodies such as ZATCA, SFDA, GAC, and others, as well as navigating complex negotiations and disputes involving private and semi-governmental entities. I’ve been instrumental in regulatory compliance, brand protection, and risk mitigation, often advising on product claims, advertising content, labour disputes, data privacy, and competition-related matters.

Next to that, I have led legal support for two of Unilever’s five business groups in the GCC, as well as the Customer Development and HR functions regionally. I’ve played a pivotal role in drafting and negotiating a wide range of agreements — from distribution and collaboration contracts to promotional terms and digital compliance notices — all aligned with country-specific regulations.

Beyond Saudi Arabia, I managed the legal department in Bahrain, led competition law compliance across the GCC, and overseen legal matters related to HR transitions, labour disputes, and data privacy. I’ve also led regional initiatives such as establishing a legal powerhouse, designing standardised templates, managing external counsel budgets, and training internal stakeholders on corporate governance and ethical compliance in the region.

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

Over the past year, I have led the enhancement of our internal contracts management system as part of a multi-year transformation initiative. I designed and implemented an end-to-end process flow that serves all GCC countries, ensuring full compliance with each country’s legal and regulatory requirements. I developed a comprehensive library of standardised contract templates tailored to local laws, and ensured alignment with internal policies, the company’s authority matrix, and financial controls. This initiative has significantly strengthened governance, improved operational efficiency, and minimised legal and compliance risks across the region. Now, we’re benefiting from AI to enhance the system and support our lawyers.

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

As an FMCG company operating in Saudi Arabia, the implementation of the Saudi Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) has had a significant impact on our business. One of the key projects I led was ensuring end-to-end compliance with the PDPL across the organisation. This included conducting a comprehensive gap analysis to identify risk areas, implementing necessary amendments to align with the law, drafting all required privacy notices and cookie policies, and delivering targeted training sessions to our business partners. The initiative has helped mitigate legal risks and reinforced our commitment to data privacy and regulatory compliance.

Are the effects of AI on the legal world overplayed, or underplayed?

I believe the effects of AI on the legal industry are still significantly underplayed. While the technology has proven capabilities in automating routine tasks such as legal research, contract review, due diligence, and document drafting, its adoption — particularly in local companies and regional law firms — remains quite limited. Many organisations have yet to invest in the necessary infrastructure, or lack the technical expertise to integrate AI into their legal processes. There is also a degree of scepticism around the reliability, data security, and ethical implications of AI in legal decision-making, which further slows adoption.

However, for forward-looking legal departments, AI presents a tremendous opportunity to enhance efficiency, reduce human error, and reallocate valuable legal resources to more strategic and advisory roles. In the long term, I believe AI will become a key enabler in transforming how legal teams operate, but broader awareness, training, and investment are needed for its full potential to be realised in our region.