Foreword

Welcome to July’s edition of Law Update.

In this month’s issue, we focus on Dispute Resolution, as well as legal developments in Jordan.

After a very challenging six months due to the pandemic, we are now seeing the emergence of green shoots across several countries in the MENA region. Travel restrictions are easing, businesses are returning to full on-site capacity and we, at Al Tamimi & Company, are once again looking forward to meeting our clients face-to-face with a view to collaborating on new matters and business ventures.

In our Dispute Resolution corner, we consider the impact of COVID-19 on dispute resolution in the region; both in terms of how litigation and arbitration proceedings are conducted and the types of disputes to which it has given rise.  Our detailed Dispute Resolution Opening Statement highlights some of the major developments pertaining to dispute resolution during this period.

Jordan, one of the first countries in the world to implement strict lockdown procedures, appears to have come out on top, enabling it to reignite ‘business as usual’ activities and move closer to its goal of realising the nation’s 2025 national vision.  In the same breath, we are proud to announce the appointment of our firm to act on one of the largest PPP Projects in Jordan, as well as to assist the Government’s Steering Committee and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in the ongoing review and reform of the capital markets’ legal regime in Jordan.

In this edition, we also examine a wide array of legal topics relevant to the Jordanian market, including the government’s commitment to digitalisation, which our Jordan experts see as a valuable window of opportunity.  If nothing else, the pandemic has underlined the importance of being able to adapt to the modern world and its technology. Our Corporate team in Amman also examines the importance of adapting and accepting technology as part and parcel of doing business. We are also pleased to report that Jordan is taking proactive steps to support its real estate market by exploring ways and means of offering legal comfort to owners so as to encourage further foreign direct investment.

Turning to our General focus, we look at ‘PPP’ – the concept of ventures between the public and private sectors – which is becoming more popular as a means of funding and implementing projects effectively. Recalling a trending topic in these times – the importance of technology – the Dubai International Financial Centre has enacted a new data protection law which will more closely align it with the approach to personal data protection presently taken in Europe.

Honing in on our Judgment section, we look at the impact of a European decision regarding data protection and the potential impact this may have on our clients in the MENA region; an interesting take on how jurisdictions are evolving and learning from each other.

I hope you enjoy this edition.  Should you wish to explore any of these issues or have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.