Gowling WLG is pleased to announce that Imran Mufti has joined the firm’s Dubai office as a partner in its Projects Group. Mufti joins the firm from Hogan Lovells in Dubai.

Imran will lead the firm’s Saudi Arabia practice and will be responsible for its relationship with Al Ghazzawi & Partners, Gowling WLG’s strategic partner firm in Saudi Arabia.

Imran advises local and international clients across a range of specialist areas including Islamic finance, Islamic capital markets and structured finance for which he is recognised in Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal. He is a well-known figure in the industry and has written chapters for publications such as “Islamic Finance: A Practical Guide” and “Sukuk and Islamic Capital Markets”.

Imran has over 20 years’ experience working in the Middle East. He has been instrumental in a number of high profile projects in Saudi Arabia, most notably advising on the Sudair 1,500MW PV IPP, one of the largest single-contracted solar PV plants in the world, as well as advising lenders to the 300MW Sakaka IPP, the first utility scale renewable energy project under the National Renewable Energy Program of Saudi Arabia.

Imran said: “I’m delighted to be joining the team at Gowling WLG and look forward to developing the Saudi practice under our close cooperation arrangement with Al Ghazzawi & Partners. The current and future opportunities across the Kingdom align well with Gowling WLG’s key sectors which include energy, financial services, life sciences, natural resources, infrastructure, real estate and tech – the ability to assist clients in advancing their objectives in contributing to the unprecedented forward strides taking place in Saudi was a key driver for me in deciding to join the Gowling WLG team.”

Jonathan Brufal, Partner and Head of International Projects commented: “We are very pleased to welcome Imran to the Projects Group. He is a fantastic addition to the team and his experience in both Islamic and conventional finance will enable us to better serve our clients’ needs in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. The importance of the Kingdom cannot be overstated and together with its commitment to becoming a Net Zero economy and the increasing importance of PPP projects in delivering its Vision 2030, it is an exciting time for clients. By bringing an individual with deep knowledge of Saudi Arabia into our team we are determined to continue to provide our clients with the service, expertise and advice that they need to be successful in the region.”

Imran’s arrival adds significant strength to the capabilities of the Projects Group and Gowling WLG’s presence in the region.