Al Tamimi & Company has the leading education practice in the Middle East and North Africa, helping education clients with all of the legal issues required to set up and run successfully; from regulatory approvals to real estate, tax and banking.

Our specialist education lawyers have a detailed understanding of the sector and work with education providers across the sector including pre-schools, schools, training academies, universities and colleges.

In depth education knowledge and excellent relationships

We have education specialists on the ground across the MENA region, including The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Bahrain.

Education is a highly regulated sector and education providers need specialist advice.

We have daily contact with the relevant ministries across our network of offices. These good relationships, along with our breadth of legal expertise means that we help our education clients understand how the law is executed on the ground. This insight ensures that our clients meet their objectives while keeping costs under control.

Our education services

  • Setting up of entities onshore and in free zones across the MENA region including advising on structuring and restructuring of education-related businesses.
  • Mergers and acquisitions including due diligence, advising on optimal structure for acquiring businesses, seeking regulatory approvals, negotiating and finalising all transaction documents and implementing the restructure and acquisition for companies acquiring education sector assets.
  • Joint ventures including establishment of joint venture entities onshore and in free zones.
  • Financing such as advising an international funds specialising in student accommodation and creating legal documentation in relation to funds for establishment and expansion of education businesses.
  • Real estate including, advising generally on land law, development and leasing requirements as well as more specifically on tenant and landlord obligations, assessment of building standards and arrangement of musataha agreements with government entities and developers.
  • Construction and infrastructure including construction, operation and maintenance of new campuses.
  • Employment issues including contracts, review of HR policies and general HR matters.
  • Intellectual property including copyright assignment, ownership advice and model agreements.
  • Technology covering all aspects of technology procurement (including Edtech) including IT and non-IT outsourcing arrangements.
  • R&D and innovations, patent protection and commercialisation of inventions.
  • Regulatory advice covering all of the issues required to set up and operate in the education sector in our region.

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