This alert discusses hot topics and enforcement trends that have made an impact across the Middle East region in the first half of 2026, and signals developments to watch by the end of the year, with a focus on Compliance (Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Anti-Money Laundering, Sanctions, Data Protection), Foreign Direct Investments, Competition, Employment, and ESG.

Click here to read the full alert on cov.com.

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Photo of Haykel Haykel Haykel Haykel

Haykel Hajjaji advises global corporations, sovereign investors, and financial institutions on complex cross-border transactions, regulatory strategy, and market entry across the Middle East. His practice spans corporate, M&A, and commercial advisory matters, with a focus on strategic expansions into the Gulf region.

Haykel…

Haykel Hajjaji advises global corporations, sovereign investors, and financial institutions on complex cross-border transactions, regulatory strategy, and market entry across the Middle East. His practice spans corporate, M&A, and commercial advisory matters, with a focus on strategic expansions into the Gulf region.

Haykel has a particular expertise in supporting clients operating at the intersection of innovation, regulation, and geopolitics, advising on sectors including AI, data centers, life sciences, defense, supply chain and infrastructure.

Drawing on more than two decades of experience, Haykel combines deep legal insight with commercial pragmatism. He regularly counsels clients on developing market entry strategies, structuring transactions, navigating foreign investment regimes, and managing legal risk in sensitive environments.

He is a member of the AI Task Force of the US-UAE Business Council and teaches at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, New York University Abu Dhabi and ESCP Business School. He frequently speaks on governance, deal making, and market trends in the Gulf, and contributes to policy discussions on investment and corporate reform in the region.

Haykel is regularly quoted in the international business press, including the Financial Times on AI and data centers, and the legal press, including the American Bar Association Law Practice Today on doing business in the Middle East.

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Photo of Benjamin Haley Benjamin Haley

Ben Haley leads the firm’s White Collar and Anti-Corruption Practice in the Middle East and Africa and is a chair of the firm’s broader Africa Practice. With deep experience representing clients before regulators in high-profile white collar and disputes matters and a history…

Ben Haley leads the firm’s White Collar and Anti-Corruption Practice in the Middle East and Africa and is a chair of the firm’s broader Africa Practice. With deep experience representing clients before regulators in high-profile white collar and disputes matters and a history operating on the ground in emerging markets, he helps clients assess and mitigate a wide range of complex legal and compliance risks.

Complementing his investigations and dispute resolution practice, Ben has a broad-based compliance advisory practice, helping clients proactively manage compliance risk in areas including anti-corruption, trade controls, anti-money laundering, fraud, and data privacy.

Ben represents corporate and individuals clients in a wide range of investigations and disputes, including:

Investigations under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”).
Investigations into anti-money laundering, financial crimes, anti-terrorism, and sanctions and export control issues.
Securities fraud and accounting matters.
Board investigations and shareholder litigation.
Insurance recovery.

Ben also regularly advises clients on a range of regulatory compliance and corporate governance issues. His compliance advisory practice includes:

Performing risk and compliance program assessments.
Leading compliance reviews on business partners and assisting companies with third-party risk management processes.
Conducting forensic accounting reviews and testing and enhancing financial controls.
Advising on market entry, cross-border transactions, and pre-acquisition diligence and post-acquisition integration.
Assisting companies in designing, implementing, and maintaining best-in-class compliance programs.

In recent years, Ben has steered a number of clients to successful resolutions and declinations in complex FCPA and corporate fraud matters with the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities Exchange Commission. In his advisory practice, Ben has served as lead compliance counsel on a number of major M&A and investment transactions. He has developed special expertise assisting clients in leveraging technology in their compliance programs, including assisting one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies in the design and implementation of an award-winning compliance data analytics and monitoring system.

Ben has been described by the Chief Compliance Officer of one of his clients as “[a]n outstanding senior lawyer and advisor,” and “a guiding light for all things compliance advisory in Africa,” whose “advice is crystal clear, covers all angles and is business friendly.”

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Photo of Julie Teperow Julie Teperow

Julie Teperow advises multinational clients on complex local and international regulatory, public policy, and corporate matters. She advises across a broad range of sectors, including life sciences, technology and consumer products. She has particular experience with regional cross-border compliance issues, helping clients navigate…

Julie Teperow advises multinational clients on complex local and international regulatory, public policy, and corporate matters. She advises across a broad range of sectors, including life sciences, technology and consumer products. She has particular experience with regional cross-border compliance issues, helping clients navigate regulatory frameworks and the practical issues arising when doing business in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Julie also has experience with government affairs in the GCC ‒ advising companies on commercial, trade and market access. She has expertise in advising companies on entering and dealing with issues particular to emerging markets.

In addition to regulatory compliance and government affairs, Julie assists clients with regulatory aspects of corporate and commercial transactions, including employment issues. She also acts as the firm’s representative for the Women’s Forum for the Dubai office.

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Photo of Tarek Khanachet Tarek Khanachet

Tarek Khanachet leads Covington’s Middle East Sovereign Advisory, Regulatory, and Public Policy practice – working with both governments and global businesses on their most complex policy challenges in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, Turkey, and the broader MENA region.

Tarek advises regional governments…

Tarek Khanachet leads Covington’s Middle East Sovereign Advisory, Regulatory, and Public Policy practice – working with both governments and global businesses on their most complex policy challenges in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, Turkey, and the broader MENA region.

Tarek advises regional governments and government entities on regulatory infrastructure development, policy design, new entity establishment and governance, and economic diversification initiatives.

His private-sector practice is focused on assisting global businesses with regional government affairs matters, including legislative advocacy, Ministry-engagement, regulatory compliance, and market access. This work crosses key highly-regulated sectors, including defense, information technology (including data privacy and cybersecurity), life sciences (including both pharmaceuticals and medical devices) and food and beverage, where global businesses may have to balance competing regulatory challenges between jurisdictions.

Tarek has extensive expertise with government-private transactions, including complex joint-ventures, and sensitive national tendering and procurement processes focused on critical infrastructure development, on-shoring of new industries, and technology transfer.

From 2011-2013 he was embedded in the Economic Cities Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, designing and drafting their regulatory framework, and advising on core PPP and outsourcing agreements.

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