Foreign Investment in Saudi Arabia and the GCC States

FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN SAUDI ARABIA AND THE GCC STATES
International Trade, Corporate Governance, Investment Treaties, Environmental Law, Labor Rights, and International Arbitration

“This handbook is an essential guide to any foreign investor navigating the rapidly changing economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. It explains in clear terms the complex legal, cultural, and social frameworks of the GCC states, whose economies are governed increasingly by law and regulation, rather than custom and tradition. I strongly commend this book to all with an interest in investing productively in the Middle East’s most significant economies.”

– Sir John Jenkins
Middle East Joint Strand Leader, University of Cambridge Centre for Geopolitics
Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Saudi Arabia (2006–2015)

“Undoubtedly an indispensable guide for anyone looking to navigate the complexities of and exciting opportunities in foreign investment in Saudi Arabia and the GCC. This book offers unparalleled insights into the region’s evolving legal landscape, making it a must-have for investors, legal professionals, and policymakers alike.”

– Orlando Vidal
Partner and Head of Compliance and Investigations for the Middle East (2016-2023)
Norton Rose Fulbright, Dubai

The GCC states — Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — have become centers of gravity for foreign investment in recent years. While promoting economic transformation and diversification, the GCC states have embarked on a range of projects in the infrastructure, transportation, urban planning and renewable energy sectors, backed by funding from extensive reserves of natural resources.

While opportunities for investment in the GCC region abound, navigating the regulatory framework governing investment can be riddled with uncertainty and risk. These challenges highlight the need for a clear guide that walks foreign investors and their legal counsel through the GCC’s regulatory landscape.

The present volume fulfils this need. It is an authoritative handbook that expounds the legislative framework for foreign investment in the GCC states, while illustrating how Islamic law interacts with legislation. This vade mecum covers bilateral and multilateral investment treaties, international arbitration, trade and investment framework agreements, regional dispute settlement tribunals and legislation governing business organizations, agencies, capital markets, government procurement and taxation, while highlighting emerging topics in foreign investment, including environmental law, sanctions, labor rights, renewable energy and human rights.

AUTHOR

John M B Balouziyeh is a partner at the New York-based international law firm Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP, where he specializes in public international law, foreign investment in the Middle East, international disputes and human rights. Holding common law and civil law qualifications, he previously served as a Legal Officer for the United Nations in Iraq and as a Human Rights Officer for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). He began his legal career as an attorney at the U.S. State Department, where he advised the U.S. government on state-investor arbitrations. He has acted in cases before the International Criminal Court and serves as an International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Instructor with the American Red Cross. He holds law degrees from the University of Oxford, Universidad Abat Oliba (Spain) and Regent Law School, as well as degrees in international relations from L’Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) (France) and Columbia University. He has authored or edited over 20 books and 40 articles, written in Arabic, English, French and Spanish, on international law and international affairs. His clients praise him as “one of the smartest attorneys in the [Middle East] region” for his ability to “navigate highly complex regulatory hurdles” (Legal 500).

FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN SAUDI ARABIA AND THE GCC STATES
International Trade, Corporate Governance, Investment Treaties, Environmental Law, Labor Rights, and International Arbitration

“This handbook is an essential guide to any foreign investor navigating the rapidly changing economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. It explains in clear terms the complex legal, cultural, and social frameworks of the GCC states, whose economies are governed increasingly by law and regulation, rather than custom and tradition. I strongly commend this book to all with an interest in investing productively in the Middle East’s most significant economies.”

– Sir John Jenkins
Middle East Joint Strand Leader, University of Cambridge Centre for Geopolitics
Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Saudi Arabia (2006–2015)

“Undoubtedly an indispensable guide for anyone looking to navigate the complexities of and exciting opportunities in foreign investment in Saudi Arabia and the GCC. This book offers unparalleled insights into the region’s evolving legal landscape, making it a must-have for investors, legal professionals, and policymakers alike.