Time is my greatest foe in the Middle East

Nadim Elias El Haj, the chief legal officer of Abu Dhabi National Hotels, is a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in legal leadership across the hospitality and tourism sectors. His impressive career includes roles at Bloom Properties, Lakhraim Business Group, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, as well as serving as the general counsel for Abu Dhabi’s Ministry of Interior and as a partner at WongPartnership in Abu Dhabi.

In a recent interview, El Haj discussed the regulatory complexities facing the tourism and hospitality industry in the Middle East amidst current regional geopolitical strains. He emphasized the crucial role of a general counsel in bridging communications with government entities and highlighted the expanding legal landscape in the region due to the influx of international law firms.

When asked about the current landscape of the hospitality and tourism industry in the Middle East, El Haj expressed optimism about the sector’s growth momentum driven by an increase in international tourists visiting the region. He emphasized the importance of managing resources effectively to achieve ambitious strategic growth targets for Abu Dhabi National Hotels.

El Haj also shared insights on the role of the chief legal officer in fostering relationships with government entities to facilitate business operations and growth in the Middle East. He highlighted the importance of managing strategic relationships with key stakeholders in the sector to contribute to policy-making and the execution of strategic projects with long-term impacts on the local economy.

Regarding regulatory hurdles in the hospitality and tourism sector, El Haj pointed out that regulations not keeping up with the sector’s exponential growth pose significant challenges. He emphasized the need to optimize strategic projects’ negotiation and execution to overcome these obstacles and ensure projects progress ahead of time.

With the influx of international law firms in the Middle East, El Haj discussed how the legal market has changed in terms of mandates, pricing strategies, and competitiveness. He stressed the importance of striking the right balance between quality and price to achieve company strategic growth targets on time and within budget.

El Haj also addressed the trend of companies cutting costs by doing more legal work in-house and highlighted the role of AI in optimizing costs. He mentioned that AI is a powerful tool for tasks such as M&A exercises and e-legal discovery forensic exercises, and he is constantly assessing new products and technologies to digitalize functions within the ADNH legal department to meet growing business needs.

Overall, Nadim Elias El Haj’s insights shed light on the evolving legal landscape in the Middle East’s hospitality and tourism sector and the critical role of a chief legal officer in navigating regulatory complexities and fostering strategic growth opportunities for companies in the region.