Date and Time
1 May 2025 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Venue
Dubai Chambers - 13th floor
Organized By
Dubai Chambers in collaboration with Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism
Event Type
Event
About the Event
The event will highlight the new UAE Family Business Law, which introduces a comprehensive legal framework designed to strengthen business continuity, governance, and succession planning for family-owned enterprises.
Agenda
10:00 - 10:30
Networking & Breakfast
10:30 - 10:45
Dubai Centre for Family Business - Strengthening Legacy and Innovation
Dubai Chambers
10:45 - 11:00
D33 Agenda - Introduction on Family Wealth and Businesses
Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism
11:00 - 12:15
Family Business Law Unpacked: What You Need to Know
Panel Participants: Dubai Chambers, Al Futtaim Group, Hourani & Partners and Seddiqi Holding
12:15 - 13:45
Lunch Break
13:45 - 14:15
How to Register a Family Business in Dubai: Key Steps and Requirements
Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism
14:15 - 15:30
Building a Lasting Legacy: Structuring Family Businesses for Sustainable Growth and Wealth Transfer
Panel Participants: Hourani & Partners, PwC Middle East, Al Ghurair Group, Outer Temple Chambers and Maha Bin Hendi Law Firm
15:30 - 15:35
Closing
Participation Fees
Free
A selection of our partners
Speakers
Ahmad Alhajri
Director, Legislations Legislation & Disputes Department - Dubai Economy & Tourism
Ahmad Alhajri is the Director of the Legislation & Disputes Department, Dubai Economy & Tourism. A licensed lawyer with a Master’s degree in Private Law, he brings extensive experience in legislative affairs, dispute resolution, and regulatory compliance. A technical member of the Supreme Legislation Committee of the Emirate of Dubai, Ahmad has played a key role in several national legal initiatives, including the National Committee to Combat Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism, and the National Risk Assessment Team. He also serves as a conciliator at the Dispute Resolution Center in the Dubai Courts, and is a certified expert in both intellectual property and combating financial and administrative corruption. His broad legal background and significant policy expertise offer valuable perspective on the governance, sustainability, and legal structuring of family businesses in Dubai.
Chadi Hourani
Managing partner, Hourani & Partners Legal Consultancy FZCO
Chadi Hourani is the managing partner of Hourani & Partners Legal Consultancy FZCO ("HLC"), headquartered in Dubai, UAE. He is a US-trained and qualified attorney who joined HLC in 2007 and co-founded its affiliate KSA practice, which has since grown to three offices located in Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar. Chadi earned his Juris Doctor and Masters of Law (LLM) in Securities and Financial Regulation from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. He is licensed to practice law by the New York State Bar Association and by the Dubai Legal Affairs Department. Chadi is a member of the New York State Bar Association and currently serves as the chairman of Georgetown University Law Center’s MENA Alumni Advisory Board. Prior to joining Hourani & Partners, Chadi gained experience in the US and Saudi Arabia practicing at prominent international law firms, including Akin Gump, DLA Piper and LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae.
David Russell
Professor of Law at the University of Southern Queensland
David Russell AM KC has practised in the UAE since 2012 and is a member of the DIAC panel of arbitrators, having previously been President of the Asia Oceania Tax Consultants Association. In 2016 he chaired the DIFC’s Wealth Management Review Working Group, 53 of whose 56 recommendations have since been implemented. He has been worldwide Deputy Chair of STEP, and is currently a Professor of Law at the University of Southern Queensland, co-chair of the UAE chapter of the New York State Bar Association’s International Section, and a council member of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law, the Global Tax Advisers Platform, and the International Tax Specialist Group.
Fadi Hammadeh
General Counsel, Al Futtaim Group
Fadi Hammadeh is a lawyer, author, and university professor, with over three decades of experience specialising in law, corporate governance, and risk management. He has held senior leadership roles across international law firms, sovereign entities, and prominent regional and global corporations. Since 2009, Fadi has served as General Counsel of the Al Futtaim Group, one of the leading diversified business groups in the Middle East, where he oversees legal affairs, corporate governance, risk management, and internal education. His prior career includes executive roles at Freshfields, Majid Al Futtaim, and Dubai Holding. An advocate of legal education and thought leadership, Fadi is also a Professor of Law at Sorbonne-Assas University, Dubai (DIFC), where he lectures on civil law and governance.
Ismael Hajjar
Partner, Entrepreneurial Private Business, Family Office Services - PwC Middle East
Ismael Hajjar is a UAE based partner specialising in international tax & wealth structuring, family office and private capital advisory. He started his career in Europe and has been serving international families for over 16 years. He relocated to the UAE in 2013 and is currently acting as a trusted advisor to a number of successful families across the Middle East region. He is leading PwC Tax and Legal service offering to private clients, entrepreneurial & royal families and family offices in helping them understand and manage their global affairs, overcome cross-border tax challenges and identify opportunities to achieve their family and business objectives. Ismael has contributed to building and currently serves Family Offices. This involved designing their strategy, operations and organizational structure as well as advising them on global tax matters.
Khalid Khan
Head of Legal at Seddiqi Holding
Khalid Khan is Head of Legal at Seddiqi Holding. Among other things, it owns Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the luxury watch and jewellery distributor. He has over two decades of legal experience across the UK and the Middle East. This includes private practice roles at Pinsent Masons, Reed Smith Richards Butler, and Dentons; and as Head of Legal for leading Middle Eastern multinational and family-owned businesses (such as The Zubair Corporation (Oman), Gulf Investment Corporation (Kuwait), GEMS Education (UAE), and MH Alshaya Co (Kuwait)). Khalid is an English qualified solicitor. He was previously a Parliamentary Assistant at the House of Commons for a former UK Secretary of State and has worked at the European Commission in Brussels.
Maha Bin Hendi
Managing Partner - Maha Bin Hendi Law Firm
Maha Bin Hendi is a distinguished Emirati lawyer with extensive experience in the legal field. She holds the right of audience before the UAE’s Federal Courts and the Dubai Courts, and is registered in the DIFC Academy of Law’s Register of Legal Practitioners (Part I). Having grown up in Dubai, Maha completed her secondary education locally before pursuing higher education abroad. She earned her undergraduate degree in Law from London and an LLM from Fordham Law School in New York. Driven by a deep connection to her home city, Maha returned to Dubai to leverage the unique opportunities it offers. Before founding the Maha Bin Hendi Law Firm, Maha honed her skills at Hadef & Partners, a leading independent law firm. There, she managed a variety of complex real estate and commercial transaction disputes. Her expertise extends to legal disputes in the entertainment and creative industries, areas where she has published extensively and pioneered innovative legal strategies in response to the digital technology boom.
Mahra Othman
Executive, Business Analyst Digital Business Development - Dubai Economy and Tourism Department
Mahra Othman is an Executive - Business Analyst at the Dubai Economy and Tourism Department, Digital Business Development Department, serving in this role since 2021. With expertise in Business Analysis, Requirements Gathering & Documentation, and Process Improvement & Optimization, Mahra has played a key role in driving initiatives that support the growth and sustainability of Family Businesses in Dubai. including policies and digital solutions. Her work also includes contributions to strategic projects like Invest in Dubai, the Dubai Unified License and Anti-Money Laundering efforts, alongside collaborations with authorities such as the Community Development Authority. Passionate about driving efficiency and enhancing cross-departmental collaboration, Mahra is committed to delivering impactful solutions that streamline business processes and drive organizational growth. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Sahia Ahmad
CEO of Regulatory & Governance Sector - Dubai’s Department of Economy & Tourism
Sahia Ahmad is the CEO of Regulatory & Governance Sector at Dubai’s Department of Economy & Tourism. She has over 25 years of experience in the Private Sector having worked at Allen & Overy and Reed Smith, where she was a partner and in the Public Sector with Dubai World and Emirates Investment Authority, in Abu Dhabi. She is an experienced General Counsel and policymaker who has led significant international transactions and projects such as the construction of Palm Jumeirah and Atlantis, the issue of the first Dubai Offshore Companies legislation and Freehold law and the creation and IPO of DP World. Sahia holds a number of board positions including the Executive Board of the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority and the Global Board of the Association of Corporate Counsel. Sahia is the first Emirati to be a member of the UK Bar, breaking barriers and setting new standards of excellence in achievement and innovation. Known for her strategic vision, leadership prowess, and cultural acumen, Sahia is a seasoned professional with a deep understanding of global business dynamics and policy frameworks
Sunita Singh
Partner and Head of Private Wealth & Family Offices practice group - Hourani & Partners
Sunita advises significant business families, private clients, family offices, trustees, private banks, regulatory authorities and foreign law firms on Cross Border Estate and Succession Planning, Wealth Management, formulating and implementing Family Codes of Governance, Family Constitutions and establishing Family Offices. Sunita is known for dedicating time to teaching and spreading awareness, of current legal and practical updates and developments in the regional private wealth sector, within the global advisory community. She is a full member of STEP (Arabia), regularly chairs and presents at international wealth management forums and is highly respected by members of the Global Private Client Industry. Sunita is regarded as a leading authority on Middle East private client issues by numerous global private wealth industry groups, she serves as the Middle East Advisory Board Member for the International Tax Practice Association and has been consistently ranked by Chambers and Partners as a Private Client and High Net Worth Adviser.
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