Reem Alsayegh

Reem is a banking lawyer who has wide-ranging experience in syndicated and secured financings with a particular focus on Islamic finance (including dual conventional/Islamic tranche financings), real estate and emerging markets lending, as well as advisory mandates. She spearheads the firm’s highly regarded Islamic finance practice.

Reem advises on English, UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi) law-governed transactions. Her clients include leading local and international commercial banks, investment banks, investment managers and other financial institutions whether structured on a conventional or sharia-compliant basis. She also has a large borrower client base, including corporates and sovereign wealth funds across the region with a particular focus on the UAE and Bahrain.

Reem is also head of the Linklaters’ Middle East financial regulatory group, with specialised knowledge of legal and regulatory matters and a detailed understanding of modern financial markets and infrastructure. She is familiar with the full spectrum of new and disruptive financial technology, including blockchain, artificial intelligence and digital identification technologies.

Reem has been based in the firm’s Dubai office since 2011, before which she gained professional experience in the firm’s London and Singapore offices. She has also spent time seconded to The Royal Bank of Scotland in 2014.

As one of the senior figures of the Linklaters’ Dubai office, Reem is a champion of gender equality in the workplace.

Work highlights

Reem has led or advised on some of the most significant and complex finance transactions in the Middle East. These include advising:

Transactional

• the financiers on the US$9bn conventional and Islamic facilities for the take-private of DP World
• a government-related entity on its approximately US$1bn margin loan financing
• Emirates NBD Bank PJSC (as the borrower) on the UAE’s first sustainability linked syndicated loan
• on the US$3.1bn syndicated loan facility in favour of Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA)

Regulatory

• one of the largest UAE banks on its LIBOR transition project, a project of strategic importance spanning two years during the phase out of LIBOR as a benchmark rate
• one of the largest UAE banks on the impact of the implementation of the new consumer protection regime on its business
• an international financial institution on Shariah-compliant crypto-asset financial services

Reem is active in advancing the rule of law in the UAE and bringing the best of her international practice and experience to further the legal infrastructure locally. She was awarded the Arab Woman Award for Finance in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the Finance sector and efforts during the Covid-19 crisis.

Reem is a member of numerous consultation committees, regularly advising on the impact of new federal as well as free zone laws and regulations.

Reem studied law at Trinity College Dublin and holds a master’s in commercial law from the University of Cambridge.

She speaks English and Arabic.