Navigating US Tariffs: Mitigating Legal Risks For UAE And KSA Construction Projects

On the 2^nd of April 2025 United States ('US") President Donald Trump introduced what has been widely viewed as some of the most significant escalations in trade policy in recent times- the imposition of additional US import and export trade tariffs. This included the levying of a 10% universal, baseline tariff on all imports as well as reciprocal tariffs ranging from 11% to 50% on goods from countries around the world, with the exception of China which had a tariff of 145% applied on most goods with a reciprocal tariff rate of 84%. Although a 90-day pause has subsequently been announced for all countries except China, once eventually applied, the United Arab Emirates ("UAE") and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ("KSA") will be among those countries affected by this significant change in US trade policy. The UAE and KSA are key players in the global construction industry, with ambitious infrastructure and development agendas. Accordingly, their reliance on global supply