Khushboo Shahdadpuri

Biography

Khushboo is a Partner with Al Tamimi & Company focusing on international dispute resolution and arbitration. She is dual qualified in Singapore and New York. She has a particular focus on construction, infrastructure, energy, financial, joint venture and real estate development arbitrations. Her experience includes international arbitration matters under the rules of the ICC, SIAC, DIAC, LCIA, LMAA, QICCA, JAMS, SCC, as well as ad-hoc arbitration proceedings under the UNCITRAL rules and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Khushboo has been recognised in the Asian Legal Business MENA Super 50 Lawyers 2024, is ranked as a Global Elite Thought Leaders Under 45 in Arbitration and as a Future Leader in Construction in Lexology (formerly Who’s Who Legal) as well as a Rising Star by Legal 500 for her expertise in construction disputes. Khushboo was also recently shortlisted for the IFLR Women in Business Law Awards 2025 in the EMEA Commercial Arbitration category. Her clients describe her as “a stand our performer in this team. She is commercially minded with outstanding legal skills and a work ethic that is second to none” and she has “a deep understanding of both construction law and international arbitration”.

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Recent Experience

• Acting for Indian contractors in a complex and high-value DIAC arbitration where the value of the dispute exceeds AED 650 million and involves intricate facility and banking related issues.
• Acting for a high net-worth individual in a confidential financial related arbitration matter where the value of the dispute exceeds USD 300 million.
• Represented a joint venture comprising of a public-listed corporation in Italy in a multi-party ICC arbitration matter before a prominent three-member arbitral tribunal arising out of a football stadium for the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022. Value of the dispute exceeded USD 650 million and entailed complex arguments related to contractual interpretation of liability clauses, admissibility of the claims and counterclaims and design development issues, amongst many others. Leading experts for delay, quantum and MEP appointed.
• Represented a major bank in the UAE on a construction arbitration matter, under the DIAC rules, seated in Dubai and governed under the UAE laws before a three-member arbitral tribunal. Prominent experts and KCs instructed. Issues in dispute involved the suspension of the site due to slab collapse,  safety issues, fatalities and defective works in a prominent UAE development project.
• Represented a Turkish oil company against a government entity in an Iraq oil and gas project. Matter involved sensitive and confidential information.
• Represented a leading F&B holding group in the UAE in a DIFC-LCIA arbitration matter, seated in the DIFC and governed under the DIFC laws, pertaining to the termination of a franchise agreement.
• Represented a Middle East government entity in a technical solar power plant ICC arbitration before a prominent arbitral tribunal involving complex legal issues arising out of English and Qatari law where the value of the dispute exceeded USD 60 million. 10 experts of different disciplines appointed. Issues in dispute involve arguments pertaining to time at large and the validity of unit rates and prices in a remeasurable contract.  Lead lawyer in the matter, presented the key arguments during the jurisdictional challenge hearing and various other procedural applications. Second chair to the KC that was appointed as lead counsel during the hearing.
• Acting for a Middle Eastern government entity in a technical construction arbitration of a museum project in Kuwait seated in Dubai and governed by Kuwaiti law. JAMS Arbitration Rules will apply.
• Represented a prominent Qatari corporation in a complex construction ICC arbitration before a three-member arbitral tribunal seated in Doha and governed under Qatari law. Issues involve delay, termination and defective works claims and counterclaims exceeding QAR 300 million. Second chair to the KC that was appointed as lead counsel during the hearing.
• Represented a major construction company on an Oman project dispute involving complex legal issues pertaining to pay when paid provisions.
• Advising design consultants in relation to the construction of a football stadium for the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 on matters pertaining to liability. Assisting in the third-party funding arrangement sought for the ICC arbitration proceedings.
• Advised an international conglomerate in a multi-party oil and gas dispute arising out of the construction of a high-profile LNG pipeline project in Qatar where the value of the dispute exceeded USD 1 billion. Issues involved the approved protocol and procedure in carrying out the construction of the pipeline. Worked with international experts until the successful settlement of this matter.
• Represented an Italian public-listed corporation in a dispute pertaining to a technical licensing agreement under the QICCA rules before a three-member arbitral tribunal. The arbitration proceedings involved intricate procedural applications and challenges.
• Represented an airport security company on an agency dispute in an ICC arbitration matter seated in Zurich and governed under Swiss law.
• Represented a trust company in litigation proceedings before the QFC Courts on matters of English trust law.
• *Advised a national carrier airline on an urgent application under the SIAC rules, governed under German law where damages claimed were in excess of USD 100 million.
• *Represented an Indian conglomerate in a SIAC arbitration matter arising out of a Sale and Purchase Agreement of a pulp and paper manufacturing plant where damages claimed were over USD 50 million.
• *Represented a Singapore arm of an Indian company in two related arbitration proceedings under a SIAC and an ad hoc UNCITRAL arbitration pertaining to the illegality and unenforceability of payment obligations. The arbitrations were governed under Singapore and English laws respectively.
• *Represented an Indian conglomerate in a joint venture infrastructure project in West Africa under the ICC rules seated in Singapore and governed under Singapore laws.

*Matters worked on prior to joining the firm.

Thought Leadership

Speaking Engagement

• ICC YAAF: Becoming and Being an Arbitrator — Lessons from Experience and Innovation, Beirut, June 2025
• Bucharest Arbitration Days, Justice on a Budget: How Costs Shape Access to Arbitral Justice, Bucharest, June 2025
• ICC YAAF: Navigating Arbitration in the Gulf, UAE-India Arbitration Series 2025, Dubai, May 2025
• IBA Young Lawyer Training Course: The Fundamentals of International Legal Practice, New trends in international dispute resolution, April 2025, Abu Dhabi
• Riyadh International Disputes Week 2025, Limeslade Masterclass: An Evening in Riyadh, Riyadh, February 2025
• Riyadh International Disputes Week 2025, Construction Arbitration 2.0, Resolve, Riyadh, February 2025
• Riyadh International Disputes Week 2025, Managing International Disputes Effectively – The In-House Counsel Perspective, SIAC-YSIAC, Riyadh, February 2025
• Riyadh International Disputes Week 2025, Morning with Al Tamimi & Company, Effective Use of Arbitration and ADR in Saudi Construction Projects, Al Tamimi & Company, Riyadh, February 2025
• ArbinBrief (Season 4, Episode 9), Navigating Arbitrator Selections, February 2025
• Dubai Arbitration Week 2024, The Art of Persuasion: Effective Advocacy in International Arbitration, ICC YAAF, Dubai, November 2024
• Dubai Arbitration Week 2024, The Final Stretch – Mastering the Last Step to Project Completion, Masin, Dubai, 12 November 2024
• Dubai Arbitration Week 2024, Arbitration with States and State-owed Entities, Fireside Chat, Al Tamimi & Company in collaboration with IAMC and Osborne Partners, Dubai, November 2024
• Dubai Arbitration Week 2024, Deconstructing the Arbitration Myth, Al Tamimi & Company , Dubai, November 2024
• IBA 2024, Seeing is Believing: evidence-gathering through site visits in energy, mining and construction arbitrations, Mexico City, September 2024
• IBA 2024, The AI Revolution: Are we too young to die?, Mexico City, September 2024
• Singapore Convention Week 2024, UNCITRAL Academy: Net Zero Disputes – Aspiration or Inspiration?, Singapore, August 2024
• Philippines Institute of Certified Quantity Surveyors (PICQS), Self-Help Remedies in Construction Projects, July 2024
• SCL-India, Unveiling the Legal Landscape of Construction Law and Arbitration, Use of Technology in Construction Dispute Resolution, Kerela, July 2024
• SCL-India, Unveiling the Legal Landscape of Construction Law and Arbitration, Discovery in Construction Arbitration and the Role of Experts, Kerela, July 2024
• International Law Summits 7th Annual Conference on Energy Arbitration & Dispute Resolution in the Middle East and Africa, Power and Energy: Geopolitics, Natural Resources and Sustainability, London, May 2024
• India-UAE Business Forum & Delegation, Opportunities & Challenges in Cross Border M&A Transactions in the MENA Region, Dubai, May 2024
• Oman Commercial Arbitration Centre’s ADR Breakfast Series 2024, Termination in Construction Contracts: Who, When and What and Ensuring the Enforceability of Arbitral Awards in Oman, Muscat, May 2024
• Construction Claims and ADR Conference Marathon 2024, After Winning an Arbitration, How to Get Paid?, May 2024
• Doha Arbitration Day 2024, Enhancing Arbitration through Institutional Rules, Doha, April 2024
• Riyadh International Disputes Week 2024, Sustainability, Technology and Dispute Resolution in Saudi Construction Projects, Limeslade, Riyadh, March 2024
• Riyadh International Disputes Week 2024, The Art of Cross-Examination, Singapore International Arbitration Centre and YSIAC, Riyadh, March 2024
• The Impact of Culture in Construction Disputes, Inter-Pacific Bar Association, Riyadh International Disputes Week 2024, Riyadh, March 2024
• Opportunities & Challenges in the India-UAE Bilateral Investment Treaty, India-MENA Arbitration Summit, Hyderabad, February 2024
• Al Tamimi & Company and CIOB, Exploring the Legalities of Construction Disputes, Dubai Arbitration Week 2023, November 2023
• Dubai Arbitration Week 2023, YIAG Interactive Tylney-style Seminar, Dubai, November 2023
• Dubai Arbitration Week 2023, SIAC, Effective Management of Projects, Infrastructure and Energy Disputes, Dubai, November 2023
• Annual International Arbitration & ADR Summit, LegalPlus, KSA, November 2023
• 3^rd ICC Kuwait Arbitration Day 2023, Welcome Remarks and Moderator, Kuwait, October 2023
• Institute of Construction Claims Practitioners (ICCP) Conference, Disputes Panel, September 2023
• Society of Project Managers, Webinar Series 2023/4, Valuing Losses and Damages in Construction Disputes – How should parties put their best foot forward, May 2023
• Al Tamimi & Company, Construction Disputes, Legal and Technical Insight, Riyadh, May 2023
• Economic Crisis and Rebuilding: Investing in the Rule of Law, AIJA – International Association of Young Lawyers, May 2023
• Paris Arbitration Week 2023, YSIAC Witness Evidence and Preparation in International Arbitration: Cross-Cultural Perspectives, Paris, March 2023
• Validity of Electronic Forms of Arbitration Agreements, Middlesex University, Dubai, March 2023 (Guest Lecturer)
• Limeslade Webinar, ESG, B Corps, CSR & More, February 2023
• (Guest Lecturer) Insurance Arbitration Certificate Course, ASEAN Institute of Insurance & Risk Management, January 2023
• Al Tamimi & Company, Decipher and ERE Event: The Role of Expert Witnesses in Construction Arbitration, Dubai, November 2022
• Limeslade Masterclass, ESG’s Role in Construction & Engineering, Dubai, November 2022
• Al Tamimi & Company Webinar: Hidden Risks in Qatar Construction Contracts – Alternative Dispute Resolution, October 2022
• World Arbitration Update Forum, Legal Developments in Arbitration in the MENA Region, September 2022
• Arb-Dossier – Georgetown International Arbitration Society Course on “The Practitioner’s Perspective in Arbitral Proceedings”, Party and Counsel Conduct: Tackling Guerrilla Tactics, September 2022 (Guest Lecturer)
• Singapore Convention Week 2022, “Reimagine, Rethink, Remake International Commercial Dispute Resolution”, Singapore, August 2022
• Al Tamimi & Company Webinar: Hidden Risks in Qatar Construction Contracts – damages, limits on liability, defects and limitation periods, June 2022
• Campaign for Greener Arbitrations, Going Paperless in Arbitration – Why and How?,  June 2022
• Al Tamimi & Company and Addis Law Group Event, The Culture of International Arbitration: Lessons from Practice, June 2022
• AIAC YPG Conference 2022, Threading the Needle: Contracts and International Commercial Arbitration, March 2022
• Video Interview with Ermis Marques, Director of Strategy and Managing Director of KSA at Zutari Managing Director, Dubai, February 2022
• Al Tamimi & Company Webinar: Hidden Risks in Qatar Construction Contracts – why practice elsewhere might not work in Qatar, January 2022
• Dubai Arbitration Week 2021, The Launch of the MENA Sub-Committee of the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations, Dubai, November 2021
• Dubai Arbitration Week 2021, Fireside Chat with Lucy Reed, SIAC, November 2021
• YSIAC Conference 2021, Resolving ESG Disputes Through International Arbitration, November 2021
• Singapore Convention Week 2021, Round Table with Singapore Second Minister for Law, Edwin Tong SC, September 2021
• Yonsei Arbitration Day 2021, Adapting Arbitration to Changing Paradigms, August 2021
• Al Tamimi & Company Webinar, Exploring the 3Es in Construction Arbitration: Evidence, Experts and Efficiency, March 2021
• Limeslade, Construction Dispute Funding, February 2021
• Philippines Institute of Certified Quantity Surveyors (PICQS): PSSCOC and FIDIC Contract Administration in the New Normal, December 2020
• YSIAC Advocacy Workshop, Abu Dhabi, February 2020
• 5^th Annual International Arbitration & Regulatory Global Sumit, Doha, April 2019
• YSIAC Advocacy Workshop, Chennai, April 2019

Key Publications

• The Saga of the DIFC‐LCIA Abolition in the Aftermath of Decree No. 34: A World View, International Journal of Arab Arbitration (2024) (co-author)
• The Aftermath of Decree 34: The Saga Continues in Singapore, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (18 April 2024) (co-author)
• International Bar Association, FIDIC Around the World – Qatar, 2024
• 2023 Year in Review: MENA, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (14 March 2024)
• The Growing Need For Reciprocity Between India and UAE, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (24 February 2024) (co-author)
• Fresh Off The Press: The Latest arbitrateAD Rules, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (16 February 2024) (co-author)
• The New Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration Rules 2023: What’s In Store?, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (22 May 2023)
• Interview with our Editors: The Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) in the Spotlight with Fatima Balfaqeeh, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (16 May 2023)
• Dispute over Matrimonial Service Website: Singapore Adopts Composite Approach in Declaring Dispute to be Arbitrable, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (25 February 2023) (co-author)
• The New Rules of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre: An Upgrade to the Centre’s Procedural Framework, Al Tamimi & Company Law Update (July 2022) (co-author)
• GAR, Construction Arbitration, Qatar (2019; 2020; 2021) (co-author)
• GAR, The Middle Eastern and African Review: Energy Arbitration in Africa (2022) (co-author)
• GAR, The Middle Eastern and African Review: Energy Arbitration in the Middle East (2019; 2021, 2022) (co-author)
• 2021 In Review: Middle East Overview, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (8 March 2022) (co-author)
• What’s in a name? The Validity of Arbitration Awards in Qatar, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (13 December 2021)
• Challenges to the Jurisdiction of the QFC Court in Qatar, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (28 August 2021)
• UAE Arbitration Users Look East, International Journal of Arab Arbitration (2018) (co-author)
• General Duties of Counsel, American Bar Association, Working Group on Third Party Funding in International Arbitration (2018) (co-author)
• Third Party Funding in the Middle East, Lexology (2018) (co-author)
• Is an Arbitration Agreement in a Draft Contract Binding? Perspectives from the courts in Singapore and Switzerland, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (22 January 2017)
• Third-Party Funding in International Arbitration: Regulating the Treacherous Trajectory, Asian International Arbitration Journal, Issue 2 (2016)
• Reaffirming the High Threshold of Setting Aside Arbitral Awards, Singapore Law Watch Commentary (2015)
• The Natural Justice Fallibility in Singapore Arbitration Proceedings, Singapore Academy of Law Journal (2014)