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Key contacts
Managing Partner: Alex Saleh
Quick facts
Number of lawyers

150

Number of partners

8

Network memberships

IBA, AmCham, ABA

Languages

English, Arabic, French

Key practice areas
Financial and corporate
Project development
Financial and corporate
Project development
Firm overview

GLA & Company is a regional MENA-based law firm with offices in Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar and UAE. It provides strategic, cost-effective and forward-thinking legal representation for companies seeking to do business in the Middle East. The firm boasts a diverse portfolio of clients, ranging from start-ups to global enterprises doing business in the Middle East. GLA’s practice consists of a full-service law firm that handles everything from simple advisory work to complex contentious and non-contentious matters. With extensive experience advising clients in the key Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE – as well as in Egypt – the firm offers unique insights for companies seeking quality legal services. Data protection and privacy, in particular, is a key focus area for the firm, considering the expansion and revamping of applicable laws and regulations across the GCC.

GLA & Company is headed up by Nader Al Awadhi, Senior Partner, and Alex Saleh, Managing Partner. As a founding partner, Nader Al-Awadhi has over 44 years of legal experience. Nader Al Awadhi’s reputation in the Kuwait legal profession is well-known. He has developed a strong forte for commercial and corporate litigation matters representing many of the top Kuwaiti companies and institutions as well as many famous international companies.

Alex Saleh is the Managing Partner of GLA & Company and takes a leading regional role within the firm with respect to its M&A and Private Equity practice. With over 25 years of experience in both the GCC markets as well as the US, he has accumulated sizable expertise in the areas of banking & finance, mergers & acquisitions, capital market deals and infrastructure projects. His experience garners praise from the leading legal directories as he is annually awarded “Market Leader” by the IFLR1000, “Band One” by Chambers & Partners and “Leading Individual” by Legal 500. Alex’s transactions regularly win Deals of the Year by the same institutions and organizations.

With Offices Throughout the Region, Our Firm Represents Companies in the Middle East and Worldwide
At GLA & Company, we provide strategic, cost-effective, and forward-thinking legal representation for companies seeking to do business in the Middle East. We also represent MENA startups and established companies doing business locally and abroad.

Our practice encompasses all of the legal issues companies will likely encounter in the global business environment. With extensive experience advising clients in the key Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) plus Egypt, we offer unique insights for companies seeking to establish or expand business operations in these nations. From advising on various aspects of doing business in the region, engaging in simple or complex transactions, assisting with local regulatory disclosures with various competition or anti-trust authorities, or resolving disputes (local or arbitral), our attorneys are well-equipped to provide current, concise and timely representation to all types of clients.

We Work With Companies and Their International Counsel
We work with many of our clients directly. This includes clients located in the Middle East and in other regions worldwide in a diverse array of industries. But we also work with companies’ international law firm counsel in many instances. If your firm has a client with interests in the Middle East, GLA & Co attorneys can either shoulder the load or work alongside your firm’s attorneys to meet your client’s needs in a timely and cost-effective manner.

We Provide a Full Suite of Necessary Legal Services for Global Companies
We have structured our firm to serve as full-service outside counsel to multi-national companies seeking to do business in the Middle East and regional companies ranging from high-tech startups to established real estate developers, financial institutions, and retailers. This is illustrated by our practice areas, which include:

We Offer Unique Perspectives on Doing Business in the Middle East
As a result of our attorneys’ decades of local experience, we offer unique perspectives on doing business in the Middle East. Not only are our attorneys intimately familiar with the legal and regulatory issues, but they are knowledgeable about local and regional customs as well. As a result, our attorneys can help our clients avoid costly—and potentially embarrassing—mistakes while fully addressing their legal needs.

We are Different from Our Competitors
As a boutique law firm with the resources and talent of much larger firms, we stand out from our competitors. We offer custom-tailored, one-on-one legal representation at reasonable rates, and our attorneys take a personal interest in ensuring that our clients have every available opportunity to succeed. Moreover, what sets GLA & Co apart is our unparalleled combination of international and local expertise. GLA & Co combines the best and brightest regional international advisors with local experts who often hold an established and respected relationship with many key regulatory authorities, allowing us to provide the best advice and representation in a timely manner.

 

Key transactional practices
Key Practice contacts and recent transactional highlights

Capital Markets, Corporate & M&A:
Alex Saleh - alex.saleh@glaco.com

Banking & Finance:

Alex Saleh - alex.saleh@glaco.com
Ashraf Hendi – ashraf.hendi@glaco.com

Commercial Advisory, Data & Technology, Employment & Benefits:
Alex Saleh - alex.saleh@glaco.com

Asad Ahmad - asad.ahmad@glaco.com


Anti Trust & Competition:
Alex Saleh - alex.saleh@glaco.com

Asad Ahmad - asad.ahmad@glaco.com

Disputes:
Nader Al Awadhi - nader.alawadhi@glaco.com

Mohammad Al Awadhi - mohammed.alawadhi@glaco.com

Sector expertise
  • Banking
  • Construction and materials
  • Energy
  • Financial services
  • Oil and gas
  • Real estate
  • Tech and telecoms
  • Automotive
  • Consumer goods and services
  • Healthcare
Other offices
  • Qatar
    Doha
    Level 15, Al Qassar(Gassar) Tower, No. 27
    Doha, Qatar

  • UAE
    Abu Dhabi
    24th Floor, Al Sila Tower
    Abu Dhabi Global Market Square
    Al Maryah Island
    Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

  • Dubai
    Latifa Tower, Level 17
    Sheikh Zayed Road,
    Trade centre district
    Dubai, United Arab Emirates
    Tel: +971 50 9875590

  • Bahrain
    Manama
    Suite 11, Building 240, Road 1704
    Diplomatic Area 317, P.O. Box 11777
    Kingdom of Bahrain

  • Egypt
    Cairo
    Hyde Park, HPO/B3-1/119 &120
    New Cairo, 5th Settlement,
    Cairo, Egypt
    Tel: +20 115 9200890

  • KSA
    Riyadh
    Building No. 7671
    Al Mawsim Street
    As Sahafa District
    Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  • Muscat
    Office 108, 1st Floor, Al Fardan Heights,
    Ghala, PO Box 3349, PC 120 Al Azaiba, Sultanate of Oman
    Muscat, Oman
Address:
Arraya Tower II, 36th and 37th Floors, Sharq, Kuwait
Kuwait City, 13013
13013
Tel:+96566955516 Email:Contact Us Web Address:https://www.glaco.com
Rankings published in 2026
Financial and corporate
Tier 3
15 firms ranked
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Tier 1

ASAR - Al Ruwayeh & Partners
2 practice areas
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Meysan
2 practice areas
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Tier 2

International Counsel Bureau
2 practice areas
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Tier 3

Al Markaz Law Firm
2 practice areas
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Al Yaqout and Al Fouzan Legal Group
3 practice areas
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Al-Hossam Legal
2 practice areas
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GLA & Company
4 practice areas
View full profile

Notable

Abdullah Kh Al-Ayoub & Associates
1 practice area
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Al-Hamad Legal Group
2 practice areas
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Alfahad & Partners (Consultants and Attorneys)
1 practice area
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Dr Yaqoub Al Sanea & Legal Partners
1 practice area
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GHK Lawyers
1 practice area
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International Legal Group
1 practice area
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Project development
Tier 3
9 firms ranked
View full list

Tier 1

ASAR - Al Ruwayeh & Partners
2 practice areas
View full profile

Tier 2

Al Markaz Law Firm
2 practice areas
View profile

Tier 3

Al Yaqout and Al Fouzan Legal Group
3 practice areas
View profile
GLA & Company
4 practice areas
View full profile
International Counsel Bureau
2 practice areas
View profile

Notable

Al-Hamad Legal Group
2 practice areas
View profile
Hussain Al Huraiti & Partners Legal Group
1 practice area
View profile
Meysan
2 practice areas
View full profile
Linked Reviews
Financial and corporate

GLA & Company is a regional MENA-based law firm with offices in Kuwait, UAE, KSA, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman and is led by managing partner Alex Saleh.  In the State of Kuwait, GLA & Co operates under Gulf Lawyers & Legal Advisors Company, W.L.L., a Kuwaiti professional limited liability company with full rights of audience in all Kuwaiti courts. In financial and corporate work, the firm focused on acquisitions and financing for a wide variety of clients including many from the banking sector whilst in projects the firm works on both energy and infrastructure projects. 

 

Highlights  

GLA & Co. acted as local counsel to Zain Group in its acquisition of a 70% stake in IHS Kuwait Limited from IHS Holding Limited, bringing Zain’s total ownership to 100%. The team was led by Rana El Nahal and advised on all local law matters, including legal due diligence, transaction structuring, regulatory approvals, and negotiation of the share purchase agreement. The transaction closed in November 2025.  

The firm also advised EnerTech in relation to Project GEO, an integrated green hydrogen project. The team, led by Alex Saleh, served as lead counsel and handled the negotiation and finalization of the term sheet agreement with consortium partners. Phase two of the project was completed in September 2024 and phase three is currently ongoing.  

Partner Ashraf Hendi joined the Banking & Finance team from Matouk Bassiouny in October 2024 and partner Rana El Nahal joined the Corporate M&A team from Zulficar & Partners in November 2024.  

Partner Yousef Al Amly moved to Norton Rose in August 2024.  

 

Key Clients  

ACWA Power Company; Cognita Middle East Holdings Limited; Al Ansari Financial Exchange; Zain Group; ICBC – Industrial and Commercial Bank of China; National Company for Education Services and Training (NEST); National Technology Enterprises Company (NTEC); Enertech; Hayat Communication 

 

Testimonials 2024-2025  

GLA & Company combined strong knowledge of Kuwait Law with international finance standards, offering clear and practical advice that balanced legal risk with business needs. Their responsiveness, bilingual capability, and familiarity with Kuwait requirements and market practice made the process efficient and effective. (Banking & Finance) 

Overall, I believe GLA's depth of legal expertise, tailored approach, technical legal excellence, client-centric service, and strong industry reputation make them an ideal partner for this type of legal engagement.” (Project Development  

"I am confident in their ability to provide high-quality legal counsel and support us in achieving our goals. (Project Development) 

Alex Saleh is highly respected in Kuwait for his deep expertise in banking and finance. He is known for his impactful role in shaping the framework of financial institutions and for guiding complex transactions with clarity and commercial insight. His combination of local regulatory knowledge and international market practice makes him a trusted advisor on high-profile matters. (Banking & Finance) 

Mohammed Al Awadhi is highly effective at breaking down complex issues and tailoring his advice to our commercial needs. He is responsive, clear in his guidance, and combines local knowledge with an understanding of international market practice, which makes his input both reliable and practical for our transactions.” (Banking & Finance) 

"Nader Al-Awadhi stands out for his depth of legal expertise, strategic thinking, effective advocacy skills, client-centric service approach, and technical legal excellence. These qualities make him a valuable asset to his clients. (Project Development) 

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