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Level Up: Unlocking Financial Potential In The Middle East
Welcome to this edition of Law Update, where we focus on the ever-evolving landscape of financial services regulation across the region. As the financial markets in the region continue to grow and diversify, this issue provides timely insights into the key regulatory developments shaping banking, investment, insolvency, and emerging technologies.
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.
A complete spectrum of legal services across jurisdictions in the Middle East & North Africa.
Rita Jaballah
Partner, Head of International Litigation
Biography
Rita Jaballah is a Partner in Al Tamimi & Company’s Dispute Resolution practice and leads its International Litigation Group. She has extensive experience of handling complex, high value local and international disputes in the local UAE Civil law courts and common law courts in the UAE and across the region including the DIFC, ADGM, QFC and AFC.
Rita specialises in advising and representing clients with respect to a wide range of commercial and DIFC/ADGM related disputes and claims with a particular focus on commercial and regulatory proceedings in the banking and financial services sector. In this regard, Rita has acted for prominent investment banks and financial institutions in a number of high profile and significant disputes in the banking and regulatory arena. She has been involved in the development of the DIFC Courts and currently sits as a member of the DIFC Courts’ Rules Sub-Committee. In addition, Rita advises and represents local and foreign businesses and financial institutions in a wide range of commercial, property, company, shareholder, enforcement and banking disputes under UAE, DIFC, English and International law. She has expertise in devising enforcement strategies for the enforcement of foreign judgments and awards in the UAE and the region.
Rita retained her Band 1 raking in Chambers Global Guide 2023 Dispute Resolution and as a “Leading Individual” in Legal 500 Dispute Resolution UAE. Rita is also recognized in Who’s Who Commercial Litigation (2022) and as one of the MENA Super 50 Lawyers for 2021 in Asian Legal Business. Chambers Global describes Rita as frequently sought after by both regional and international banks, as well as financial regulatory authorities, for her wealth of experience in financial services litigation.
Rita Jaballah has been described as “one of the best lawyers around…is phenomenally good”, “she is very strategic, very focused on outcomes and also knows her stuff in terms of legal analysis” and “Rita practices at an extraordinarily high level, bringing sophisticated and thoughtful analysis to all of her advice and carefully considering all aspects of the matter in providing her perspective.”
Prior to joining Al Tamimi & Company, Rita practised in a leading law firm in Melbourne and a magic circle firm in London, where she specialised in large scale and multi-jurisdictional litigation with a particular focus on financial services, regulatory disputes as well as general commercial litigation in the English Courts.
Recent Experience
- Representing a venture capital fund and other shareholders before the ADMG Courts in a shareholders’ dispute over one of the fastest growing technology companies in the Middle East.
- Representing in proceedings before the DIFC Courts the UAE’s largest healthcare insurer (and one of the GCC’s largest insurers) in a claim for substantial damages brought by a third party administrator for breach of contract and loss of profits.
- Representing a Swiss Investment Bank in the DIFC Courts in relation to an mis-selling claim arising from the liquidation of an investment portfolio upon the onset of the pandemic.
- Representing one of the “Big Four” before the DIFC Courts and Joint Judicial Committee in multiple high-value breach of contract and auditor negligence claims arising out of the fraud and misuse of investor funds by the management of a collapsed private equity group..
- Representing one of the region’s largest oil and gas companies in respect of a challenge in the DIFC Courts to orders on service under the Riyadh Convention and challenges on the grounds of sovereign immunity.
- Advising and acting on enforcement applications relating to the enforcement of onshore court, DIFC Courts, ADGM Courts and foreign judgements and arbitral awards.
- Acting for an 8 member syndicate of banks in a DIFC Courts claim totaling AED1.8 billion following the breach of conventional and Islamic loan facilities.
- Acting for a DIFC based financial services firm in respect of allegations arising out of an investment agreement. Successfully obtained immediate judgment on behalf of the client.
- Advising and acting for a UAE based bank in respect of a dispute in the DIFC Courts arising out of the sale of securities and allegations of mis-selling, including advice in relation to jurisdictional matters.
- Advising and acting for the owner of a Gulfstream private jet in an ADGM Courts claim against the aircraft insurer/reinsurers.
- Acting in the largest case in the DIFC Courts representing a Swiss investment bank and its DIFC entity in a USD 200 million claim arising out of the sale of structured products and involving allegations of mis-selling and breaches of DIFC regulatory law. This case has produced a number of leading authorities in relation to jurisdiction, contract, tort and regulatory law.
Language(s)
- Arabic
- English
Education
1998 – Bachelor of Law (Hons), University of Melbourne
1998 – Bachelor of Commerce, University of Melbourne
Admission
2000 – Solicitor and Barrister of Supreme Court of Victoria
Practice(s)
Sector(s)
Insights
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