08:30 AM - 08:50 AM

Registration and breakfast

08:50 AM - 09:00 AM

Welcome and introduction by DLA Piper

Peter Somekh, Managing Partner, DLA Piper

09:00 AM - 9:50 AM

Opening keynote presentation:
The MENA business outlook 2022

We are delighted to welcome back economic and geopolitical expert Trevor McFarlane, as he shares his business outlook on regional trends, focusing particularly on economic, political and governmental developments impacting Middle East businesses.

The MENA business outlook entails:

• Political outlook and growth projections for all MENA countries (drilling down into key markets)
• Key global scenarios that could impact the Middle East
• Contextual growth projections for the MENA region
• Government strategy and impact on key sectors
• How the Middle East might perform relative to other key geographies

Trevor McFarlane, Founder and Chief Analyst of Emerging Markets Intelligence & Research (EMIR)

09:50 AM - 10:30 AM

The GC forum: General counsel weigh in what to watch in 2022

2022 has already demonstrated that the only thing certain is change. As the legal and business landscape across the GCC continues to evolve, legal teams will be looked to for guidance as businesses navigate the challenges and opportunities brought by regulatory developments, technological advancement and ESG impact.

We speak with a panel of experienced general counsel as they weigh in their ideas on what priorities they perceive will shape the legal and business world in the next year.

Key areas of discussion:

• GCC legal and social developments
• Accelerated use of technology
• The role of in-house counsel in shaping future ESG strategies
• The war on talent

Later we will dig deeper into some of the challenges identified as we use Design Thinking to find innovative solutions.

Moderator: Paul Allen, Partner, Global Co-Chair Intellectual Property and Technology, DLA Piper

Rania Mosrie, General Counsel – MEA, Kraft Heinz, Stavros Panayi, General Counsel, Careem, Meltem Ozker Gunduz, General Counsel and Vice-President for Legal, Compliance and Quality, Novo Nordisk and Fiona Robertson, General Counsel, OSN

10:30 AM - 10:50 AM

Networking break and refreshments

 10:50 AM - 11:40 AM

The changing UAE business landscape: UAE tax update for legal professionals

The UAE has made a number of reforms to the business environment in the past 12 months and has recently announced the introduction of corporate income tax from June 2023.

In this session, Dubai based Tax Partner Ton van Doremalen will discuss the impact of the new corporate income tax, including the consequences for corporate structures covering both free-zones and mainland, and he will specifically highlight those areas which are relevant for UAE businesses’ legal functions.

Ton Van Doremalen, Partner, DLA Piper

UAE Data protection and privacy: Key developments and trends in 2022

As part of its 50th anniversary, the UAE issued a set of sweeping legal reforms, including the much anticipated Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data Protection (PDPL), which was issued on 26 September 2021.

The PDPL, and the other laws forming part of this package, are part an ambitious set of legal reforms intended to place the UAE at the forefront of digitisation in the Middle East, and indeed to become a world leader in technology and digitisation.

In this session, we will explore the latest PDPL developments and practical steps your business can take to prepare for this law.

Eamon Holley, Partner, DLA Piper

 11:40 AM - 12:30 PM

The ins and outs of litigation in the GCC

In this “fireside” discussion with DLA Piper’s senior litigation partners, we consider the key amendments to the Civil Procedures Law and related regulations in the UAE. These changes have brought many positive benefits, for example, there is a clear focus on effectively resolving civil disputes without prejudicing the parties' involved and assert the importance of replacing previous traditional measures in UAE civil procedure. In this interactive session, our experienced litigation team will examine the key changes to the law and the potential impacts, as well as advise how to navigate the challenges.

Key areas of discussion:

• Overview and updates of litigation in the UAE
• Major highlights in relation to the amendments of UAE Civil Procedures Law
• Best practices for effective litigation

Andrew Mackenzie, Head of Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations, Middle East DLA Piper, Wissam Dagher, Partner and Head of Onshore Litigation, Middle East, DLA Piper, Adam Vause, Partner, and Co-Chair of DLA Piper’s Global Investigations Group, DLA Piper and Haleema Almarzooqi, Managing Partner, Haleema Almarzooqi & Partners Advocates & Legal Consultants

Key labour and employment regulatory updates: All you need to know

The UAE has recently implemented the biggest change to its employment law in forty years with the introduction of the new Labour Law number 33 of 2021 and its implementing regulations. 

The changes which were implemented on 2 February with a transitional year for existing employment contracts has brought a number of challenges for businesses to consider as they need to reevaluate current policies and practices.

In this session, our experienced employment team will offer a comprehensive overview of the law as well as guidance surrounding any uncertainty and advise on how businesses can effectively implement these changes. This session will also cover employment regulatory updates in Saudi Arabia.

Neil Crossley, Partner, DLA Piper, Nadia Akhter, Associate, DLA Piper and Yasmin Naja, Associate, DLA Piper

12:30 PM - 12:45 PM

Networking break and refreshments

12:45 PM - 01:55 PM

Nightmare on law street: Tackling 2022 through design thinking

Design Thinking as a methodology has been around for decades in design; however, it is increasingly being used as an effective way of solving problems in the corporate and legal world. Why? The iterative process is designed to tackle the unknown, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and create innovative solutions to prototype and test.

In this interactive session, our Change Team, brought to you from London, will use Design Thinking methodology to break open the question “what keeps you up at night?”.  Changing legal landscapes, evolving in-house roles, new technology, globalisation, increased complexities, fewer resources… are just some of the issues faced by in-house counsel.  The audience will delve into some of these challenges and learn how to use design thinking methodology to find new solutions to old and new problems.

Jana Blount, Change Maker, DLA Piper and Mayowa Odusote, Design Lead, DLA Piper

01:55 PM - 02:00 PM

Closing remarks

01:55 PM – 02:30 PM

Lunch and networking