Izabella Szadkowska

Real Estate & Construction and Hotels & Leisure

Real estate, construction, and hospitality are at the forefront of transformation across the Middle East – reshaping cities, driving investment, and demanding increasingly sophisticated legal frameworks.

In the June edition of Law Update, we take a closer look at the legal shifts influencing the sector – from Dubai’s new Real Estate Investment Funds Law and major reforms in Qatar, to Bahrain’s push toward digitalisation in property and timeshare regulation. We also explore practical issues around strata, zoning, joint ventures, and hotel management agreements that are critical to navigating today’s market.

As the landscape becomes more complex, understanding the legal dynamics behind these developments is key to making informed, strategic decisions.

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Eyes
On 2025

Legal Updates in
Middle East & North Africa

2025 is set to be a game-changer for the MENA region, with legal and regulatory shifts from 2024 continuing to reshape its economic landscape. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Iraq, Qatar, and Bahrain are all implementing groundbreaking reforms in sustainable financing, investment laws, labor regulations, and dispute resolution. As the region positions itself for deeper global integration, businesses must adapt to a rapidly evolving legal environment.

Our Eyes on 2025 publication provides essential insights and practical guidance on the key legal updates shaping the year ahead—equipping you with the knowledge to stay ahead in this dynamic market.

The leading law firm in the Middle East & North Africa region.

Izabella Szadkowska

Partner

Biography

Izabella is a Partner in the Corporate Structuring team and specialises in corporate and commercial work, particularly in foreign investment regime, cross-border corporate and regulatory structure design and implementation, capital restructuring work and trust structures advice and assistance.

Izabella’s areas of practice also include economic substance, ultimate/ real beneficial ownership assessment and advice, business formation and corporate services under law of the Dubai International Financial Centre. Her expertise also extends to providing day-to-day legal advice on matters of corporate commercial nature to corporate clients, particularly family businesses, as well as M&A transactions assistance and equity capital markets.

Prior to joining Al Tamimi, Izabella trained at Linklaters LLP and practiced at Clifford Chance LLP and White & Case LLP. She combines private practice and in-house experience, having acted as Head of Group Legal Department for a major UAE conglomerate, Al Rostamani Group.

Recent Experience

Kalyan Jewellers India Limited as lead Partner in relation to its listing on the Bombay Stock Exchange in India and their subsequent IPO, across the GCC.
Kanoo Group in the sale of certain travel business assets, across the GCC, to American Express Global Business Travel.
TPG Rise Fund in relation to its USD1bn acquisition of Abraaj healthcare fund.
VistaJet in relation to Rhone Capital transaction valuing VistaJet’s equity on a post-money basis in excess of USD2bn.
Aster DM Healthcare as lead Partner in relation to its listing on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Securities Exchange in India and their subsequent IPO, including complex cross-border restructuring across the GCC.
Gulf Medical Projects Company on the sale of the Al Zahra Hospital Group in the Northern Emirates of the UAE for USD572m.
First Reserve, Inc. in relation to its acquisition of Metallum (EUR670m).
Anglo American in relation to the sale of its Tarmac business in the UAE, Qatar and Oman (transaction value worldwide: GBP885m).