Sarah El Serafy

Level Up: Unlocking Financial Potential In The Middle East

Welcome to this edition of Law Update, where we focus on the ever-evolving landscape of financial services regulation across the region. As the financial markets in the region continue to grow and diversify, this issue provides timely insights into the key regulatory developments shaping banking, investment, insolvency, and emerging technologies.

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Eyes
On 2025

Legal Updates in
Middle East & North Africa

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.

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

Sarah El Serafy

Senior Counsel

Biography

Sarah has over 13 years’ experience advising banking clients on various legal and regulatory matters. She also has expertise in project finance, debt capital markets, structured products, banks’ mergers and acquisitions, and general banking and finance. Sarah has assisted banking clients in complex corporate restructuring activities, banks’ mergers, bond offerings, leveraged buyouts, syndicated finance transactions, securitisation of loans portfolios, investment business start-ups, introducing structured products to the local market, insurance and re-insurance and other various matters.

Sarah’s particular expertise is banking matters, particularly drafting and negotiating loan agreements and the relevant security documentation on behalf of lenders and borrowers. She has, on many occasions, assisted banks in negotiations with their clients in project finance, syndicated finance and other types of bank facilities.

For achieving security creation and perfection, Sarah has built a strong reputation with the relevant authorities and regulators.

She has been awarded “Leading Lawyer” in the 21st/2011 Edition of the IFLR1000 – The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms. It was also mentioned that “Sarah El Serafy has a high profile in finance” in the 22nd/2012 Edition of the IFLR1000.

Recent Experience

Advising the UAE Central Bank on the recent consumer protection regulation and standards from a legal and regulatory perspective.
Advising Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange on their membership agreements and service agreements.
Advising local banks on their membership in DGCX.
Advising a Hong Kong based exchange on trading in VCCs for UAE clients and the regulatory framework.
Advising on licencing and offering commodities trading and review of investment management agreements for local and international banks.
Advising many UAE banks on corporate governance and revamp of governance structures.
Assisting Qatar Transport Authority with drafting railway law.
Advising a GCC central bank with drafting the insurance regulations.
Assisting the Egyptian cabinet with drafting amendments to the Penal Code and the Banking Law.
Assisting a leading GCC insurer with conversion of their business from captive insurance to commercial insurance.
Advising an investment firm on the acquisition of UAE branches of a foreign bank.
Advising a large group of investors in relation to the buyout of local debts and acquisition.
Advising Qatar National Bank on the acquisition of a Turkish bank.
Advising HSBC on the domiciliation of HSBC Jersey to the DIFC.
Working on financing transactions and relevant security documents (bilateral and syndicated lending).
Extensive experience in banking litigation matters and debt recovery issues.