Al Tamimi & Company

All the winning deals, teams, firms and individuals from the Middle East awards can now be announced

Al Tamimi’s head of debt capital markets provides a rundown of typical Islamic financial products, from project sukuk to securitisation

Egypt’s corporate and legal framework has undergone a number of recent reforms to incentivise foreign investment. Al Tamimi’s Mohamed Gabr and Ingy Darwish explore the key changes

Ahmed El Amoury A foreign construction company in Qatar recently won a lawsuit in relation to a dispute with a local company. This case is significant because the competent court applied and upheld the principle of personal freedom and the rights of movement set out in the Qatari Constitution. These hold that personal freedom and the rights of movement outside the state should not be restricted except in accordance with the law.

Seem Maleh It is common for courts to order one of the parties in a facility agreement to specifically perform their obligations under the facility. However, it is rare for courts to impose daily fines until the breaching party performs those obligations.

Qatar has the third largest known gas reserves in the world, as well as significant oil reserves. It is also the world's leading producer of liquefied natural gas and liquid fuels using gas-to-liquids technology. With one of the highest GDP per capita figures in the world, a high growth rate and strong government finances, Qatar has attracted businesses and professionals from around the globe. Interest in the country has also increased after it was awarded hosting rights for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, as well as other marquee sporting events.

Qatar’s De-monopolisation and Competition Protection Committee (the Committee) at the Ministry of Economy and Commerce has become much more active of late

A common concern among lenders is whether Qatari law allows the payment of interest on loans

Qatar Central Bank (QCB) recently issued a Board Resolution (the Resolution) restricting the ownership of shares in listed financial institutions

Egypt has suffered major turmoil over the past five years, but has at least fared better than some of its neighbours

Like most jurisdictions in the Middle East and North Africa, Qatar has adopted the civil law system

Despite a common misconception, the Unified Agreement for the Investment of Arab Capital in the Arab States (the Arab Investment Agreement) still applies with regard to investment guarantees and protections in the region

Rafiq Jaffer, Al Tamimi & Company

Egypt is de facto a socialist country. Despite the removal of references to the terms ‘socialism’ and ‘socialist’ from the 1971 constitution in its 2007 amendments and the absence of these terms in the current 2014 constitution, the laws still adopt the concept

There have been some recent developments in Qatar in relation to the interpretation and practical application of taxation of capital gains

In response to the financial crisis leading to the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision issued a comprehensive set of reform measures

Rafiq Jaffer Factoring is a financing technique that enables an exporter to collect the purchase price of the goods relating to an export transaction before the due date of payment. Typically, banks in Qatar act as factors and purchase receivables relating to the export transaction. The same technique is also used for financing contractors and sub-contractors, where works have been performed or goods and services have been supplied and payment under the corresponding invoice is payable after a period of time (such as 90 days). This latter technique is referred to as invoice discounting. One key commercial consideration for companies seeking to sell their receivables is for the receivables to be removed from their balance sheet as a debt and to appear as revenue that has been collected. This treatment is possible if the receivables are sold on a without-recourse basis. Auditors usually require a legal opinion to confirm that a true sale of the receivables has been effected.