Reflections from the Chairman

As we look to 2026, our region is at an inflection point. Regulatory reform is accelerating, technology is scaling, and the focus on sustainability, resilience, and compliance is sharpening. Across the Middle East, governments and businesses alike are navigating profound transformation. This transformation brings equal parts complexity and opportunity and makes understanding what lies ahead as important as responding to what is happening today. Eyes on 2026 brings together insights from our jurisdictions to examine the legal, regulatory, and commercial developments that will shape 2026 and beyond. Across MENA, legal and regulatory systems are evolving to support innovation, investment, and cross-border trade. We see clearer rules, more predictable enforcement, and a stronger focus on governance, data protection, and accountability. These shifts matter because they turn policy into practical certainty for businesses that need to deploy capital, scale technology, and resolve disputes efficiently. Progress is not uniform and risk has not disappeared. Geopolitical developments, financial crime oversight, and fast-moving regulation call for cross-functional compliance and resilient operating models. Our outlook is optimistic and grounded. We help clients grow with agility while building durable governance, digital resilience, and dispute readiness across MENA’s evolving markets. As the largest law firm in MENA, our values remain unchanged: excellence, collaboration, and accountability. Our contributors have distilled lessons from boardrooms, courtrooms, and regulatory consultations into analysis that is forward-looking and actionable. Thank you to our clients for their trust, and to our teams for their commitment. We hope Eyes on 2026 serves as an authoritative, practical compass as you plan for the year ahead.