VP Legal - UAE National

Job description / Role

You will lead legal reviews and negotiations across a range of complex commercial agreements, ensuring alignment with business goals while managing risk. Working within a collaborative and high-performing team, you will be expected to take a pragmatic approach to contract law, providing clear, business-friendly advice to internal stakeholders.

Client Details

A leading semi-government entity in Abu Dhabi.

Description

* Draft, review, and negotiate complex commercial contracts in English
* Provide strategic legal advice on risk, compliance, and contractual obligations
* Translate legal concepts into practical guidance for business units
* Liaise with external counsel when required, ensuring alignment with internal priorities
* Support corporate governance, procurement, and regulatory functions as needed

Job Offer

* Work with a forward-thinking, collaborative legal team in a high-impact organisation that shapes Abu Dhabi's real estate and development landscape
* Play a strategic legal advisory role where your insights will directly influence commercial decisions, policy, and long-term partnerships

* UAE National (with Family Book)
* 10+ years of post-qualification experience (PQE), with a strong foundation in commercial contracts
* Background in large real estate developers preferred; alternatively, experience in commercial contracts from sectors such as O&G, utilities, banking, hospitality, or government entities
* Experience at a reputable law firm or in-house legal team with a commercial, problem-solving approach
* Strong command of English legal writing and attention to detail (e.g. understanding the legal impact of punctuation or drafting nuance)
* Team-oriented mindset with the ability to work collaboratively across departments
* Common law qualification is a plus

About the Company

Michael Page is one of the world's leading professional recruitment consultancies, specializing in the placement of candidates in permanent, contract, temporary and interim positions with clients around the world.

The Group has operations in the UK, Continental Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas. In the Middle East we focus on the areas of:

Finance & Accounting Banking & Financial Services Procurement Property & Construction Engineering & Supply Chain Oil & Gas Technical and Engineering Human Resources Sales Marketing Technology Secretarial Executive Search Legal

The Group operates through 161 offices in 33 countries and employs over 5,000 employees worldwide.