Law Middle East has revealed the independent panel of ten senior legal figures and industry experts set to judge its 2026 awards. The judges are currently reviewing the shortlist, announced on October 1, after selecting winners from over 470 nominations submitted by 121 firms. The list of names includes the following individuals:
Vice President and Executive General Counsel at DP World
Reem Tariq Abdullah leads the legal function for DP World. She has held senior roles within the group since 2007 and previously practiced law in Dubai.
Judge at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department
Ahmed Bakry is a commercial judge and international arbitration practitioner with more than 20 years of experience. He heads the commercial circuit at the Abu Dhabi Commercial Court, where he handles commercial disputes.
Chief Legal Officer at Majid Al Futtaim
Hassan Basil Hassan advises the company on legal, regulatory, and strategic matters. He previously held senior in-house roles at Mars, GE Healthcare, and Dubai Holding.
Head of Legal at Emirates Flight Catering
Eliana Fonseca heads the legal team at Emirates Flight Catering. She brings more than a decade of experience in Dubai, spanning both private practice and in-house positions.
Head of Legal at Microsoft Middle East
Ali Haidar leads legal and technology initiatives for Microsoft in the region. He has over 20 years of experience across Canada, the UK, and the Middle East.
General Counsel at Magna AI
Yosr Hamza advises technology-driven businesses from her role at Magna AI. She previously spent more than a decade at Gartner, where she established legal and compliance functions across the region.
Chief Legal Officer at Al Khaleej Investment
Fadi Kilani oversees restructuring, governance, and capital markets at Al Khaleej Investment. He has more than 25 years of experience, including a previous tenure as chief legal officer at Drake & Scull International.
General Counsel for EEMEA at Mastercard
Emilia Law joined Mastercard in 2024 after more than 15 years of experience at Blackstone and Novartis. She serves as general counsel for the Europe, the Middle East, and Africa region.
Board Member and Head of Legal at Dubizzle Group
Mohammed Majid oversees the legal function for the Dubizzle Group across the MENA region. He spent 15 years in private practice, including as a partner at CMS.
Chief Legal Officer at Dar Global
Charbel Sabeh manages global legal operations for Dar Global from Saudi Arabia. A specialist in real estate and hospitality, he previously worked at Clyde & Co and Al Tamimi & Company.