Walid Salib Joins AlDhabaan & Partners and Eversheds Sutherland in Key Legal Role

Walid Salib Joins AlDhabaan & Partners and Eversheds Sutherland in Key Legal Role

AlDhabaan & Partners in association with Eversheds Sutherland, a prominent law firm collaboration in Saudi Arabia, has announced the appointment of Walid Salib as Corporate Partner and Head of its M&A practice in Saudi Arabia.

Salib, an experienced corporate lawyer, was associated with the international law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he served as the head of its Mergers and Acquisitions practice in Saudi Arabia.

Salib brings extensive expertise in advising on diverse areas such as public and private M&A, joint ventures, co-investments, and corporate structuring, spanning multiple sectors including healthcare, education, logistics, infrastructure, and F&B. Additionally, he has a proven track record of executing successful transactions in the oil and gas as well as pharmaceutical sectors.

Salib's clientele comprises sovereign wealth funds, private equity firms, family offices, and prominent multinational corporations. He possesses fluency in both Arabic and English and boasts an in-depth understanding of the Saudi market and its local legal landscape.

His appointment underscores the strategic significance of Eversheds Sutherland's M&A practice, both within the region and on a global scale. Given that a substantial portion of the firm's ongoing and forthcoming M&A endeavours in the region is linked to Saudi Arabia, Salib will play a pivotal role in facilitating these activities and fostering growth opportunities for clients not only in Saudi Arabia but also across the broader Middle East region.

“Walid’s hire is a great win for us as he is a highly regarded and knowledgeable operator in that market. Walid has existing professional relationships and personal friendships at the firm so joining our team in Riyadh as a Partner and Head of M&A for Saudi is a natural fit for us,” Nadim Kayyali, Partner and Regional Head of the Company Commercial practice in the Middle East, Eversheds Sutherland, said.

Mohammed Al Dhabaan, Founding Partner Dhabaan & Partners, in association with Eversheds Sutherland, commented: “We are delighted to have Walid join our team. He has extensive knowledge of the Saudi market as well as in-depth expertise of advising on mergers and acquisitions in the Kingdom. He will be a real asset to our existing team of over 40 lawyers in Riyadh and will further enable us to provide the best of local and international advice to our clients.”

“I’m thrilled to welcome Walid to both the team and the firm and to have the opportunity to work with him once again. The impressive repertoire of in-depth knowledge and experience he brings will enhance both our existing local and global M&A capabilities, and reinforce the level of service and legal technical excellence we’re able to provide to our clients in the Saudi market and the wider region,” Zeid Hanania, Partner and Head of M&A, Middle East, Eversheds Sutherland, added.

Walid Salib expressed his delight, terming it as an exceptional opportunity, especially considering the impressive reputation that Eversheds Sutherland's M&A team has been consistently cultivating both in the local region and on a global scale.

“I’m looking forward to applying my skills and experience and working closely with Zeid and others, as part of an integrated regional and international M&A capability, to meet the increasingly complex needs of our clients,” Walid Salib stated.