Abdulwahid Alulama

Partner, Abu Dhabi, Dubai

Biography

White & Case's Middle East head Abdulwahid Alulama advises clients, predominantly operating in the Middle East and North Africa, regarding mergers and acquisitions and a range of corporate matters.

Overview

Abdulwahid is a UAE citizen and a partner in our corporate and M&A practices.

Abdulwahid supports clients with mergers and acquisitions and a broad spectrum of corporate matters. Based in the Firm's UAE offices, he helps both domestic and international clients achieve their business objectives, primarily within markets in the Middle East and North Africa.

His practice is focused on cross-border transactions, initial public offerings, corporate governance and commercial deals. He also offers clients the benefit of his significant track record in such varied areas as financial regulation, debt capital markets, banking and finance, project finance, real estate and litigation. He is an active arbitrator under both the ICC and Dubai International Arbitration Center Rules. This unusual breadth of experience enables Abdulwahid to provide comprehensive legal advice across many of the Firm's core practice areas.

Before joining White & Case in 2012, he was a partner in the largest local UAE law firm in Dubai, and a former managing partner of its associated Qatar office. He was also the Group Chief Legal Officer of Dubai World, a prominent and active Dubai-based sovereign wealth fund. On the industry side, Abdulwahid has been involved in a number of senior strategic commercial roles in the retail, natural resources and finance sectors.

This wide-ranging legal and commercial experience has given Abdulwahid a thorough grasp of the business environment within the United Arab Emirates, and has earned him a reputation as a trusted advisor within the local business community.

Bars and Courts
Registered with UAE Ministry of Justice
Education
LLB
UAE University
LLM
Maritime and International Trade
University College London
Languages
Arabic
English

Experience

Representative transactions include advising:

Mergers & Acquisitions

  • Masdar on its joint venture with Infinity Energy, Egypt's leading renewable energy developer, to develop utility-scale and distributed solar energy and wind power projects in Egypt and Africa.
  • TAQA on its acquisition of Mirfa IWPP, a UAE-based water and power company, from SHUAA.
  • ADNOC in connection with the sale of a 40% stake in ADNOC Oil Pipelines to a consortium comprising BlackRock and KKR for US$4 billion.
  • Theodor Wille Intertrade AG in connection with the purchase of Safar Oilfield Services.
  • The heirs of Abdul Latif Ibrahim Galadari in connection with their buyout of the remaining shareholders (the Investment Corporation of Dubai and the heirs of Abdul Rahim Ibrahim Galadari) in the Galadari Brothers group.
  • Abu Dhabi Financial Group and Goldilocks Investment Company on its AED 152 million (US$41.4 million) acquisition, by way of a block trade, of 29.92 percent of the share capital of Islamic Arab Insurance Company (Salama), listed on the Dubai Financial Market.
  • Etisalat on its acquisition of Help AG, a leading UAE-based business that provides cyber security solutions to major governmental and financial institutions in the UAE.
  • Hughes Network Systems, LLC, a subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation, in the purchase of a minority interest in a joint venture with Yahsat, a leading global satellite operator based in the UAE and wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company.
  • Marathon Digital Holdings, a NADAQ-listed cryptocurrency miner, in connection with its joint venture with FS Innovation, a subsidiary of ADQ.
  • Miral Asset Management LLC and Farah Leisure Parks Management LLC in relation to all the licensing arrangements for the collaboration with Warner Brothers theme park in Abu Dhabi and all of the construction related agreements.
  • Blue Horizon Investors in connection with the acquisition of a commercial real estate asset located in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, known as Blaak 16 for €65 million.
  • Mubadala Development Company in connection with a transfer of certain interests in land located at the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park, held by its affiliate, Aerospace Holding Company LLC, to Tawazun Industrial Park.
  • Mubadala Development Company in respect of the leasing and development of a large development site at Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi.
  • Mubadala's subsidiary, MREI Portfolio (Land) 1 RSC LTD's, on its disposal of a plot on Reem Island.
  • NMC Hospital on its US$200 million acquisition of CosmeSurge Clinics, a premium cosmetic surgery brand in the UAE.
  • Orpea Middle East on the establishment of healthcare-related facilities: nursing home, post-acute and rehabilitation care facilities, rehabilitation and re-education for patients requiring medical resources, psychiatric clinics in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
  • Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA), an ADX-listed UAE aviation company, in connection with the acquisition of 100% Etihad Airways Engineering LLC (EYE), 100% of Advanced Military Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Centre LLC ("AMMROC") and 50% of Global Aerospace Logistics LLC ("GAL"), from ADQ Aviation and Aerospace Services LLC (ADQ Aviation), a wholly owned subsidiary of ADQ.
  • Agthia, a listed UAE food and beverage group, in connection with acquisitions of multiple food and beverage businesses in Saudi Arabia   and the UAE.
  • The Kuwait Food Company (Americana Group) on its divestment of shares in Gulfa Water (a manufacturer of bottled water products in the UAE) to private Emirati investors as an off-market exchange on the Dubai Financial Market.
  • Emirates Sembcorp Water & Power Company PJSC on the UAE law aspects of the US$1.5 billion refinancing, including US$400 million Reg S/144A bond offering, of the Fujairah F1 IWPP Project.
  • International Holdings Company on the sale of Apex Holding to Ras Al Khaimah Cement Company PJSC in a reverse takeover.
  • DP World on the negotiation of a 30-year concession to refurbish, expand, operate and transfer the Jeddah South Container Terminal in Jeddah Islamic Port.

Capital Markets

  • International Holding Company, an ADX-listed company, on its business merger with PAL Cooling.
  • Arkan Building Materials Co. PJSC for a proposed merger transaction with Emirates Steel Industries.
  • Emirates Investment Authority on its AED 2.3 billion acquisition of a 10% stake held by Mubadala Development Company in Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (Du), structured as an off-market trade on the Dubai Financial Market.
  • Emirates Refreshment Company on a rights issue for the increase of its capital through the issuance of mandatory convertible bonds.
  • Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world's largest district cooling provider, on its AED 2.6 billion IPO on the Dubai Financial Market.
  • UAE-based private schools group, Taaleem, on its IPO on the Dubai Financial Market.
  • DEWA on its US$6.1b IPO on the DFM, the largest ever IPO in the UAE.
  • The shareholder (Borealis) in connection with the IPO of Borouge on the ADX.

Regulatory

  • A listed Middle East financial services entity in relation to a de-listing and subsequent winding-up, as well as managing the relationship with the relevant regulatory bodies.
  • Etisalat and Noor Bank on the launch of a Dirham-denominated digital payment services company in the UAE regulated by the UAE Central Bank.
  • Etisalat in connection with the implementation of Federal Decree by Law No. 3 and the subsequent changes to its constitutional documents and ownership structure to permit foreign ownership.
  • A significant minority in a public joint stock company in relation to a board-recommended related party transaction and the options available to the client.

Disputes

  • A quasi-governmental entity with respect to the following: (a) ad hoc construction advice; (b) claims advice related to delay and disruption arising out of construction works; (c) calling of performance/retention guarantees; and (d) formulation of claims.
  • An expert witness on behalf of Deutsche Trustee Company Limited (the "Delegate") in the English High Court on matters of Islamic finance and the UAE Civil Code in relation to the bond program of Dana Gas PJSC.
  • Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) in connection with matters of UAE and Dubai laws in the form of expert opinion and as UAE law expert at trial in proceedings between Plantation Holdings (FZ) LLC and DIB before the Commercial Court in England.
  • Conduct and supervise internal investigations for an insurance company in the UAE in relation to management breaches and violations.

Commercial Contracts

  • On Holding AG on developing its distribution, marketing and sales contract globally.
  • Numerous clients in relation to executive team employment agreements for multinational clients operating in the UAE.
  • Numerous clients in relation to employment incentive plans as part of an acquisition for continuing managing teams.
  • Review Allergen's business model in the Middle East and review and advise on the agency and distribution contracts.
  • Galderma on its pharma and aesthetics business model and related distributorship agreements in the UAE and KSA.