Ian Arnott

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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The leading law firm in the Middle East & North Africa region.

Ian Arnott

Head of Hospitality Development

Biography

Ian specialises in all aspects of real estate and hotels and leisure related matters throughout the GCC. Ian trained in the City of London and qualified as a lawyer in England & Wales in 2006. He moved to the region in 2008 with Simmons & Simmons where he worked in both its Doha and Dubai offices for a number of years. After a subsequent period working in the Dubai office of a UK based law firm renowned for its real estate practice, Ian joined Al Tamimi & Company in Dubai in early 2017.

Ian has acted for a wide range of clients including institutional and other types of property investors, property developers, financial institutions, government bodies, landlords and tenants and owners and operators of hotels and serviced apartments. Ian is also a member of the firm’s Education practice group.

Ian specialises in acquisitions and disposals (including hotels and multi-let commercial buildings), hotel/serviced apartments management agreements and ancillary documentation, landlord and tenant matters in a wide range of sectors including office, retail and industrial (including advising upon rights of usufruct and musataha), sale and leaseback transactions, land development, strata title and master community schemes, unit sale and purchase agreements and drafting of property related legislation.

Recent Experience

Advising Abu Dhabi National Hotels on the portfolio acquisition of Address Dubai Mall, Address Boulevard, Address Dubai Marina, Vida Downtown and Manzil Downtown hotels in Dubai from Emaar Properties and negotiation of form of hotel management agreement.
Advising Sweid & Sweid on the sale of The Edge office building in Dubai Internet City to ENBD REIT.
Advising Emaar Malls in the preparation and negotiation of a long term management agreement between Emaar and Time Out Market relating to the management of a high-end restaurant food court in Dubai using the “Time Out Market” brand.
Drafting standard office and retail lease documentation for a number of high profile properties including Jumeirah Emirates Towers and One Central in Dubai and Burj Doha in Qatar.
Advising multiple multinational tenants relating to the lease of premises across the region including HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Facebook, Marsh, Caterpillar, Gartner, Cigna, Renault and The Arts Club.
Advising Qatar Industrial Manufacturing Company on the negotiation of hotel management agreement and branded residences related documentation with Accor regarding Swissôtel Doha Corniche Park Towers Hotel & Residences.
Advising Steigenberger / Deutsche Hospitality on all aspect of its Middle East operations.
Advising multiple hotel owners across the region regarding hotel management agreements relating to such brands as Intercontinental, Novotel, Mysk by Shaza, Radisson, Swiss Belsuites, Millennium and Rotana.