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Khalid A. Al-Thebity is Greenberg Traurig’s Middle East Regional Chair (KSA/UAE) and the Managing Shareholder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia office.

He represents clients on corporate and commercial matters, as well as financial law matters and real estate. Khalid’s practice includes Saudi litigation and arbitration cases, including representing the government of Saudi Arabia on several international law matters since 1996. He also advises major companies with respect to Saudi regulatory matters. Khalid’s counsel has been sought by many government agencies on drafting laws and regulations.

Capabilities

Experience

  • Advising the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) on the fulfilment of its mandate under the National Investment Strategy (NIS).°
  • Advising the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MoH) and its Vision Realization Office on the implementation of the corporatization of MoH’s publicly held assets.°
  • Advising KFSH&RC in the preparation of its transformation from a publicly owned entity into an independent, not-for-profit foundation.°
  • Advising King Saud University on its transformation into an autonomous, not-for-profit university.°
  • Advising in connection with the Riyadh Metro Project, Package 3 (lines 4, 5 and 6), and on a wide variety of matters arising out of the project contracts and their implementation.°
  • Advised various clients in undertaking real estate investments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.°
  • Represented a Saudi company in a multinational joint venture in negotiations with the Ministry of Education for the selection as the primary consultant and project manager on the King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Public Education Development Project (Tatweer Project).°
  • The lead Saudi lawyer in advising Eastern Petrochemical Company (SHARQ), a SABIC affiliate, on a US$3.7 billion expansion project.°
  • Advising SHARQ on a wide range of intra-group and third-party corporate and commercial arrangements.°
  • Represented Dabbagh Group in its SR451 million acquisition of the entire share capital of Saudi Arabian Lubricating 011 Company (Petrolube) from Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and Mobil Investments SA.°
  • Represented the Saudi Central Bank in respect of banking secrecy regulation.°
  • Assisted a client in a SAMA investigation.°
  • Advising major insurance companies with respect to Saudi regulatory matters, leading the team that assisted four major insurance companies to incorporate in the Kingdom, and subsequently list on the Tadawul stock exchange.°
  • Advising ORIX Corporation in relation to its indirect holding in The Mediterranean & Gulf Insurance And Reinsurance Company (Medgulf) JSC, a joint stock company listed on the Tadawul, and cooperative insurance company licensed by SAMA.°
  • Represented the Capital Market Authority (CMA) in connection with the modernization of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s system of securities regulation and its admission to the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).°
  • Assisted a client in setting up an investment bank in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in obtaining the requisite licenses from the CMA.°
  • Represented an entity under incorporation in connection with obtaining its CMA license and structuring and establishing a brokerage house.°
  • Assisted a client in connection with the establishment of a joint venture asset management firm, including the firm’s application to the CMA for a securities business license.
  • Represented a client in the formation of an equity fund in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia licensed by the CMA.°
  • Represented several foreign companies in establishing joint ventures in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in purchasing interests in joint ventures.°
  • Represented the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) on the drafting of privacy and data protection legislation.°
  • Assisted a client on regulatory matters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pertaining to submissions made to the MCIT in relation to interconnection issues with other operators and the application of asymmetrical tariffs between the operators.°
  • Represented a Saudi telecommunications company regarding proposed changes to telecommunications legislation under a public consultation document issued by the Communications & Information Technology Commission (CITC). This document concerned mergers & acquisitions, bankruptcy of telecommunications companies, accounting procedures and tariff regulations.°
  • Represented the government of Saudi Arabia in connection with compliance with World Trade Organization (WTO) requirements and obligations.°
  • The lead Saudi lawyer in advising the government of Saudi Arabia in connection with the “Gas Initiative” to open its natural gas industry to private investors.°
  • Represented the government of Saudi Arabia in connection with the establishment of a regulatory system for the electricity and water sectors.°
  • Represented the government of Saudi Arabia with respect to the establishment of a new regime of taxation.°
  • Represented the government of Saudi Arabia with respect to the establishment of legal framework for international charities.°
  • Represented the government of Saudi Arabia with respect to drafting of implementing regulations and rules for nonprofit technical and vocational training programs.°
  • Advising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the auditing and the implementation of the biometric visa services agreement by VFS Tasheel International.°

°The above representations were handled by Mr. Al-Thebity prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig Khalid Al-Thebity Law Firm.

Recognition & Leadership

  • Listed, The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa, 2015-2016, 2023
    • Commercial, Corporate and M&A, Saudi Arabia, 2016, 2023
    • Dispute Resolution, Saudi Arabia, 2016
  • First Saudi lawyer to serve as a representative of the Saudi government before the International Court of Justice

Credentials

Education
  • LL.M., Harvard Law School
  • LL.M., University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law
  • LL.B., Valedictorian, Umm Al-Qura University
Admissions
  • Saudi Arabia