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The 2025 Healthcare Odyssey
Welcome to the first edition of Law Update for 2025. As we begin this exciting year, we are pleased to turn our attention to one of the most dynamic sectors in the UAE and the broader GCC region – healthcare. Over the past several years, the region has seen unprecedented growth in this sector, driven by legislative advancements, technological innovations, and the increasing focus on sustainability and AI. As such, healthcare is set to be one of the most important sectors in the coming decade.
In this issue, we explore key themes that are significantly shaping the future of healthcare in the UAE, such as recent changes in foreign ownership laws. These reforms present a major opportunity for foreign investors, opening up new avenues for international collaborations and improving the overall healthcare infrastructure. The changes in ownership laws are an important milestone, and we provide an analysis of what this means for the industry and the various players involved.
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2025 is set to be a game-changer for the MENA region, with legal and regulatory shifts from 2024 continuing to reshape its economic landscape. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Iraq, Qatar, and Bahrain are all implementing groundbreaking reforms in sustainable financing, investment laws, labor regulations, and dispute resolution. As the region positions itself for deeper global integration, businesses must adapt to a rapidly evolving legal environment.
Our Eyes on 2025 publication provides essential insights and practical guidance on the key legal updates shaping the year ahead—equipping you with the knowledge to stay ahead in this dynamic market.
A complete spectrum of legal services across jurisdictions in the Middle East & North Africa.
Andrew Symms
Consultant
Biography
For over 30 years Andrew has specialised in all aspects of construction and engineering law, both in relation contentious matters as well as project and procurement documentation. He has worked across many different jurisdictions, has worked in-house and has broad commercial experience at the highest level across multiple sectors.
Andrew has a wide range of contracting experience, particularly in relation to the legal and commercial issues surrounding the delivery of large projects on time and to cost. These projects have ranged from residential and commercial buildings to international sporting venues to roads, power stations, transmission lines, water treatment facilities and process plants. His clients include construction and engineering companies, energy companies, airports, airlines, property developers, consultants, public authorities, governments and sports organisations. Andrew has extensive experience in respect of all forms of international dispute resolution, specifically arbitration.
He is identified in Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 legal directories as a leading individual for construction law, projects law and energy law.
Recent Experience
- Acting on behalf of various parts of a British nuclear entity in respect of facilities in the UK and advice on the laws of multiple jurisdictions (in Europe, Africa, South America, the Middle East and the Far East) as they relate to nuclear activities.
- Acting for a major Chinese solar panel manufacturer in respect of its solar farms in the UK and Africa (Kenya and Ghana).
- Acting for a European airport authority in respect of its bid for the operation and maintenance of a new terminal at a Middle Eastern airport. The work involves the review and negotiation of the operation and maintenance contract, together with the review of the construction contract and the design appointments in respect of potential interface issues at handover by the contractor.
- Acting for a Dutch contractor in respect of its work in the UK, Slovenia, South Africa and China regarding its contracts for waste water treatment works to be constructed on an EPC basis. The UK contracts were all based on the NEC3 form of contract.
- Acting for a Korean contractor in arbitration, adjudication and court proceedings regarding various disputes in respect of coal to biomass conversion projects in the UK and France.
- Acting for a Japanese entity in the UK regarding disputes in relation to termination and defects in the works of its contractor, expert determination pursuant to the IChemE Red Book.
- Acting for the German subsidiary of an American company regarding the negotiation of the contract for the construction of power station cooling towers in Saudi Arabia and the negotiation of the parent company guarantee and performance bonds for those obligations.
- Acting for an Anglo Australian construction company in its construction management contracts for multiple residential projects in Dubai, Oman, Russia, Romania and Poland.
Language(s)
- English
- French
- German
- Russian
Education
1985 – Bachelor of Law, University of Leeds
Admission
1997 – Solicitor, New South Wales, Australia
1990 – Hong Kong
1989 – Solicitor, England & Wales
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