In House Counsel Committee

Amna Al Owais is the Chief Registrar of the DIFC Courts and provides high level support to operations, the administration of the Registries, as well as the delivery of a comprehensive suite of ancillary court public services. Amna spearheads special projects across DIFC Courts operations, particularly in the field of technology and innovation, harnessing digital transformation for core courts services, including major partnerships under the Courts of the Future initiative with the Dubai Future Foundation, such as Court Tech Lab and the Courts of Space, in addition to Court of the Blockchain with Dubai Digital Authority and the creation of the Digital Economy Court specialised Division.

In addition to her role as Chief Registrar of the DIFC Courts, Amna is also Chairperson of the DIFC Courts’ Users’ Committee, Chairperson of the DIFC Courts’ In-House Counsel Committee, and a member of the Consulting Council for the University of Sharjah College of Law. In 2014, Amna was appointed to the Advisory Board of the International Bar Association’s Access to Justice and Legal Aid Committee. In September 2019, Amna was also appointed to the College of Law Advisory Board of the University of Dubai.

In 2014, Amna was selected to join the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development (MBRCLD) – the Young Leaders category, and furthermore in 2018 after the relaunch of the MBRCLD, under the Dubai Executive Office and after an extensive selection process, Amna was selected to join the first batch of the MBRCLD Impactful Leaders Programme. Amna successfully graduated in December 2018.

Amna has played a key part in the establishment and development of the DIFC Courts and creation of the Dispute Resolution Authority in 2014. She also spearheaded the establishment of the DIFC Courts’ Pro Bono Programme, launched in 2009, which is the first scheme of its kind in the Middle East. In 2011 Amna was recognised by the International Bar Association as one of the Top 3 young lawyers in the world and was listed in the Top 50 Most Influential Women in the Arab World and in the Top 100 Influential People Helping to Shape the Emirate of Dubai by Arabian Business in 2018. Amna was also awarded Legal Services CEO of the Year at the Arabian Business CEO magazine Awards in 2018 and listed among the Top 30 Most Influential Women in the Arab World by Arabian Business magazine in 2019, The Middle East’s 100 Power Businesswomen by Forbes Middle East in 2020, and the CEO Women of Influence in 2021, and 50 Inspiring Female Business Leaders in 2022 by Arabian Business. Amna was also featured in Arabian Business’ 50 Inspiring Women Leaders in 2023. Lexis Nexis also recognised Amna in 2022 as Legal Services Innovator of the Year at the Women in Law Awards and received honourable mention for the Professional Achievement Award. Amna was also included in the 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2023 by Forbes Middle East.

In 2019, Amna was invited to join the Dubai Future Councils, a new initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Dubai Future Foundation. Consisting of 13 councils, its main mandate is to Foresight the future agenda of Dubai in strategic sectors and launch initiatives with both private and public sector partners to create the foundation for that future. Amna will specifically play an active role in the membership of the Dubai Future Council on Entrepreneurship & Innovation Ecosystems.

Launched in 2019 by His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance, Amna has also been selected by the University Leadership Council and Université Paris II to be in the first cohort of the International Business Law LLM. In September 2019, Amna was also appointed to the College of Law Advisory Board of the University of Dubai.

In 2021, Amna was accepted to join the selective Strategic Leadership and Public Governance course provided by the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP). The Programme is provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Singapore in collaboration with the international embassies, who then coordinated with the Singaporean consulate in each country to nominate qualified personnel.

In 2023, Amna was selected to join the Dubai Future Fellowship, an initiative launched by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF). The programme aims to engage current and future economic leaders to contribute towards shaping Dubai’s policies, regulations, and business practices and further enhancing the city’s leading regional and global role as an incubator for the most promising innovators of the future.

Previous to her employment at the DIFC Courts, she practiced as a lawyer in the litigation department with Hadef Al Dhahiri and Associates now known as Hadef & Partners. Amna holds a bachelor’s degree of Law from the University of Sharjah and obtained a Masters (LLM) with Commendation in International Commercial Law from Kingston University, London.

Dr. Abobakr Dafalla is a highly educated, experienced, multicultural, and bilingual executive Corporate and Commercial law specialized legal counsel, with specialized expertise in Project Finance, PPP, M&As, and Government Procurement laws. With over 18 years of industry knowledge and experience, Dr. Dafalla brings a wealth of knowledge to the table.

In addition to his broad legal expertise, Dr. Dafalla has a special interest in Middle Eastern laws. He has dedicated significant time and effort to studying and understanding the legal frameworks and nuances of the Middle Eastern region. His in-depth knowledge of Middle Eastern laws allows him to provide tailored legal counsel and strategic guidance to organizations operating in this region.

Having obtained three LL.M degrees and a Ph.D. from internationally recognized universities, including being a Chevening Scholar, Dr. Dafalla has consistently demonstrated his commitment to academic excellence and continuous learning. Moreover, his experience as a university professor has further solidified his understanding of legal principles and his ability to impart knowledge to others.

What sets Dr. Dafalla apart is his proven ability to provide not only sound legal counsel but also contribute significantly to vital operational and business decisions as an integral part of the organization's senior leadership team. Throughout his career, he has actively participated in strategic planning and decision-making processes, leveraging his insights and perspectives to shape the direction and success of the organizations he has worked with.

By bridging the gap between legal and business perspectives, Dr. Dafalla has successfully navigated complex legal landscapes, ensuring compliance with regulations, mitigating legal risks, and facilitating smooth business operations. His ability to integrate legal considerations into the broader business context has been instrumental in driving positive outcomes and fostering organizational growth.

Furthermore, Dr. Dafalla has played critical roles in business expansions, using his expertise to support rapidly evolving businesses. He has built and led a distinctive, business-oriented team of legal professionals who provide valuable support to organizations. Under his leadership, the team has effectively addressed unique legal challenges and facilitated business growth.

Ali is the Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs Leader for Microsoft’s UAE operations. He obtained his law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University, in Toronto, and is admitted to the Law Society of Ontario, Canada, as Barrister and Solicitor.

Ali has approximately 17 years of experience as a lawyer, working for international law firms and multinational organizations in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. He is a trusted advisor to senior business executives, across various industries in the Middle East, Europe, and Canada, including public sector, health care, manufacturing, and technology.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Ali was General Counsel Middle East and Africa at 3M Company.

Ayman Hamdy is a legal professional with more than 30-year experience in various in-house, judicial, and private practice roles in multiple jurisdictions. As General Counsel of Emaar, he oversees the group’s legal and regulatory functions. From legal strategy to day-to-day operations, his primary focus is to work with the legal team, senior management, other functions, and stakeholders to deliver efficient legal services that align with corporate objectives, protect the legal interests of the company, and add commercial value.

Before starting his career with Emaar Group in March 2006, he was the head of the legal and regulatory functions of Unilever in Arabia. He also served in Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel roles in various real estate companies, including Nakheel, Meydan, and Emaar Misr. At the start of his career, he trained with the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris. He served as a public prosecutor for 4 years in Egypt and subsequently worked in private practice as a partner in a regional law firm. His real estate experience covers multiple geographies beyond the GCC, including the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Ayman studied law and holds a LLB and 2 LLM degrees from France (Paris Dauphine University), the U.S. (the Law School of Washington University in Saint Louis), and Egypt (Alexandria and Cairo Universities).

In addition to his in-house legal practice in the UAE, he is a qualified lawyer licensed to appear before the courts of the State of California, the Federal Courts in the U.S., and the Supreme Court of Egypt.

Ayman was awarded “General Counsel of the Year (highly commended)” by the Association of Corporate Counsel Middle East Achievement Award in 2016. He was listed in the GC Powerlist by Legal500 in 2017 and recognised as one of the Most Influential GCs (Band 1) by Chambers and Partners in 2019.

Mr. Falda joined ADCB in April 2012 after having worked in international law firms for over 10 years in the banking and finance sector.

At ADCB Gabriele heads the Corporate & Investment Banking Legal Team which is responsible on legal matters relating to corporate lending (conventional and Islamic), corporate restructuring and trade finance, as well as liaising with other departments of the Bank.

Mr. Falda obtained his law degree in Italy and is qualified to practice law in Italy. He is also a Certified Islamic Finance Executive.

Crafting a career driven by her passion for innovation, Heba Hamdy is a dynamic legal professional in the technology and cybersecurity fields. With a solid educational foundation and a wealth of professional achievements, she brings a unique blend of legal expertise and forward-thinking mindset to her work. Her dedication to excellence and outstanding reputation have earned her recognitions, including being listed in the prestigious Legal 500 GC Powerlist and receiving the In-House Community Counsel of the Year award.

Equipped with her dual qualifications as a solicitor of England and Wales and an attorney in Egypt, along with her LL.M. from Indiana University and LL.B. from Alexandria University, Heba brings a unique perspective that combines a deep understanding of the complexities of common law and civil law systems. Her commitment to staying at the forefront of her profession is showcased through her continuous learning in diverse fields strengthening her multidisciplinary approach. Her expertise also extends to crucial areas such as privacy and cybersecurity, backed by certifications such as CIPP/E, Cisco Security White Belt and Data Green Belt.

Throughout her professional journey, Heba has achieved remarkable milestones. Currently serving as Cisco’s Legal Leader for KSA, North Africa and Levant, as well as Legal Cybersecurity Lead for Europe, Middle East and Africa at, she navigates complex legal landscape, ensuring compliance and providing strategic counsel. Prior to her current roles, Heba worked with Cisco’s Global Strategy Team and served as Principal Counsel for Egypt, KSA, Levant and Turkey. Before joining Cisco, Heba gained valuable experience as a Corporate Counsel at Lenovo and Olive Group Capital. Her early career also saw her in private practice with Crowell & Moring LLP in Egypt, further honing her legal skills and expertise.

The diversity of her backgrounds and experience from different continents and legal cultures is a key component of her strengths that equips her to deliver a broader perspective for practical problem-solving. Perspectives which ultimately make for more rounded thinking, deeper understanding and better solutions. Heba takes pride in her ability to understand her clients' business requirements and provide top-quality, pragmatic, and fit-for-purpose legal services.

Jenny is Head of Legal (Corporate and Institutional Banking) for Emirates NBD, admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in England and Wales and the British Virgin Islands. She has almost 20 years of experience in the legal profession, specialising in banking and finance. She advises in relation to a broad spectrum of transactions including syndicated and bilateral lending, refinancing, real estate, project and leveraged finance, using conventional and Islamic structures. Before joining Emirates NBD, Jenny was Senior Legal Counsel with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Legal Counsel with Standard Chartered Bank.

Majd Nemeh is the Head of Legal and Member of the Middle East Executive Team at Zurich International Life Limited Middle East (Zurich), part of Zurich Insurance Group. Majd joined Zurich in 2017 as Senior Legal Counsel before being appointed as the Head of Legal.

Majd is an attorney at law. His diverse practice includes legislative drafting, drafting and reviewing of a wide range of insurance and re-insurance contracts, corporate law, M&A deals and data security. He also has extensive experience in litigation.

With thirteen years of experience in the legal sector, and eight years of experience in the insurance industry, Majd has extensive experience in delivering strategic initiatives like setting up entities, leading licensing discussions, structuring legal aspects in newer business models and propositions, setting up and formalizing distribution arrangements and bancassurance partnerships.

At Zurich, along side the day-to-day management of the legal team in the Middle East, Majd also plays a crucial role in thought leadership in regulatory reforms, while maintaining strong relationships with relevant regulators in the region.

Majd started his career as an Associate at the IBLAW Firm, based in Jordan and prior to joining Zurich, he was Senior Legal Counsel at Gulf Film and Novo Cinemas. He has previously worked for Dubai Properties Group and held the role of Legal Manager.

Majd holds a Bachelor of Law and an LLM in International Business Law.

Malek is a Jordanian qualified lawyer since 1997, he has been with Majid Al Futtaim Group since 2006, working on a large variety of legal matters including inter alia significant corporate, commercial, real estate, employment, and Treasury matters.

Ms Dandan joined the DFSA in September 2015 as General Counsel and Secretary to the Board as well as Head of Legal Affairs.

She is responsible for advising the DFSA’s Board of Directors and its various committees on all legal issues touching upon their functions and responsibilities, as well as governance matters. She also oversees the Board Secretarial function, ensuring the effective management of the affairs of the Board and its committees.

Ms Dandan also heads the DFSA’s Legal Division, which is responsible for managing the DFSA’s legal risk and providing legal advice and support for all aspects of the DFSA’s functions, as well as drafting the administrative laws and rules forming the DFSA’s regulatory framework.

Prior to joining the DFSA, Ms Dandan spent five years as Head of Legal for the corporate and retail banking businesses of Barclays Bank PLC across the Middle East. Before that she served for several years as Senior Legal Advisor for HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, advising on all aspects of HSBC’s operations across the Middle East and North Africa, including their corporate, commercial, private wealth, retail and investment banking business lines.

Ms Dandan obtained her law degree in the United Kingdom and is qualified to practice law in England and Wales, as well as in Hong Kong. Prior to returning to her Middle Eastern roots, Ms Dandan spent over ten years working for international law firms in both London and Hong Kong with a focus on advising large financial institutions and global corporates.

Robert is the Regional Head of Disputes and Government Investigations (Africa & Middle East) at Standard Chartered Bank. Robert studied law at the London School of Economics (2003, LLB Hons first class), was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 2004 and practised in London before moving to Dubai in 2009. He spent seven years in the arbitration team at Al Tamimi & Co. handling complex commercial disputes and appeared regularly before the DIFC Courts and arbitral tribunals as an advocate. He joined Standard Chartered Bank in 2017. Robert has published widely, contributing articles to Global Arbitration Review, the International Arbitration Law Review, and chapters on the DIFC as a seat for arbitration.

Sahia Ahmad is the CEO of Regulatory & Governance at Dubai’s Department of Economy & Tourism. She has over 25 years of experience in the Private Sector having worked at Allen & Overy and Reed Smith, where she was a partner and in the Public Sector with Dubai World and Emirates Investment Authority, in Abu Dhabi. She is an experienced General Counsel and policymaker who has led significant international transactions and projects such as the construction of Palm Jumeirah and Atlantis, the issue of the first Dubai Offshore Companies legislation and Freehold law and the creation and IPO of DP World. Sahia holds a number of board positions including the Executive Board of the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority and the Global Board of the Association of Corporate Counsel. Sahia is the first Emirati to be a member of the UK Bar. She joined the Management team of Dubai Tourism in 2014.

Ahmed Al Shamsi is a Legal Advisor in Telecommunication and Digital government Regulatory Authority.

He oversees certain legal, regulatory and compliance matters across the Telecom sector and smart government projects. Previously he served as a Senior Legal Officer with ICT Fund the funding arm of TDRA. Before joining TDRA, Al Shamsi worked as a Head of procurement and contracts in Sharjah Finance Department.

Alshamsi holds LLM in International Commercial Law with Information Technology Law & Commerce from University of Reading, UK, and a bachelor degree in law from University of Sharjah.

Rick Ward is Group General Counsel for the Emirates Group and leads the team providing all legal and privacy support for Emirates, dnata, and their associated companies globally. He was in-house counsel for the Emirates Group from January 1998 to October 2001, and returned in 2007. He was appointed to his current role in February, 2012. Rick is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Emirates Aviation University and Chair of the Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee.

Rick started his career in private practice with the law firm Phillips Fox (now DLA Piper) in Australia and has also worked as corporate legal counsel for Deloitte, based in the Asia-Pacific regional legal office in Sydney and the global head office in New York.

Rick is a graduate of the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons). He also holds a graduate diploma in applied corporate governance and is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia. Rick is qualified to practice law in Victoria, New South Wales and New York.

Beau is the Chief Legal Officer for Expo City Dubai (ECD) and heads up ECD’s in-house legal team. He is responsible for advising ECD and its related entities on all legal aspects of their activities, as well as providing strategic legal oversight and advice to ECD’s senior management.

An English-qualified solicitor with over 18 years’ experience in the Middle East, Beau also acts as arbitrator and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Prior to joining ECD in 2024, Beau was in private practice for nearly two decades and was a partner and regional head of construction and construction disputes for an international law firm based in Dubai. He has been recognised in the leading international legal directories for his expertise in construction and disputes work for multiple consecutive years.

Rima Hadid is an accomplished legal advisor with over 20 years of experience across private practice and corporate legal sectors.

As General Counsel at the UAE's Federal Sovereign Wealth Fund, she leads legal, compliance, and corporate governance efforts, focusing on structural reforms for government assets and advising on private equity and liquid investments. Her extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions spans local, regional, and global transactions. Named one of the most influential women in Middle Eastern finance and regularly featured on the Legal 500’s GC Powerlist, Rima is recognised for her strategic thinking, leadership, and commitment to collaboration. She is dedicated to mentoring others, empowerment, and fostering innovation in the legal landscape.