SUMMARY PROFILE
Foutoun Hajjar is an internationally recognised legal and business executive with over 25 years of senior leadership experience across the UAE, GCC, and the United Kingdom. She is a UK-qualified solicitor and barrister, a former senior partner at one of the Middle East’s largest law firms and has held senior executive roles within FTSE 100 companies, financial institutions, and global advisory firms.
Ms Hajjar is widely regarded for her ability to bridge Western and Middle Eastern legal, regulatory, and commercial frameworks. She advises boards, shareholders, government entities, multinational corporations, and family offices on complex cross-border matters — delivering commercially focused legal and strategic solutions in highly regulated and fast-evolving sectors.
She is known for building and leading high-performing legal teams, establishing new offices and practices from inception, and driving governance excellence, legal innovation, and technology adoption. Ms Hajjar has been listed among the 100 Most Influential Women in Bahrain in recognition of her leadership and impact
Experience
Ms Hajjar has held senior leadership and partner roles across international law firms, consulting firms, banks, and multinational corporations. Her professional background includes:
• Partner and Head of Commercial Practice advising UAE-based and international clients on complex commercial, regulatory, and cross-border matters
• Senior Managing Director at a global strategic advisory firm, leading GCC market entry and expansion strategies for international clients
Partner and Head of Country Office at a leading regional law firm, where she established and scaled the Bahrain office into a top-tier market practice
• Head of Legal & Compliance for the Middle East at a FTSE 100 insurance group, overseeing legal and compliance operations across multiple jurisdictions
• Chief Legal Officer and Director of Legal Affairs for banks and investment holding companies
• Advising a global industrial engineering company in connection with the establishment of a joint venture in relation to the construction and operation of a manufacturing plant in Bahrain.
• Advising a major GCC conglomerate on the acquisition of a 50% stake in a cinema complex in Bahrain, which, once developed, will be one of the world’s largest cinema complexes (acquisition price USD50M+).
• Advising a major global manufacturer on the proposed centralisation of its entire intra-group financing, payroll and treasury services operations to Bahrain, as part of a potential USD500m restructuring of its regional and operations.
• Lead counsel of a major global glass manufacturer to manage a global expansion project across eight jurisdictions in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and South East Asia.
• Advising a major US defence contractor on a substantial cybersecurity tender.
• Advising on and structuring GCC-focused private equity transactions in the oil and gas, waste management and food and beverage sectors.
She has advised on joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, regulatory compliance, and family office structures across multiple jurisdictions. Her sector experience spans insurance, banking, manufacturing, data centres, infrastructure, sports and education, and technology-driven businesses.
Professional Memberships
• Solicitor and Barrister, England & Wales
• Independent board member and governance advisor to regional and international companies
• Board secretary and advisor to private and corporate boards
• Mentor, Women Innovators (WIN) Fellowship – Atlantic Council (Washington, D.C.)
• Former Vice-Chair, Knowledge Management & IT Sub-Committee, International Bar Association
