Associate Director - Legal - Dubai Holding Land Estates

About Dubai Holding Land Estates:

Dubai Holding Land Estates oversees a diverse land portfolio strategically located across Dubai’s most sought-after areas. With convenient access to major highways, nearby amenities, and flexible land use options, investors are presented with unique opportunities for development and growth.

Through the centralization of Dubai Holding’s land bank, Dubai Holding Land Estates focuses on large-scale master plans, ensuring alignment with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, whilst also supporting the business’s commitment to sustainable urban development and strategic land portfolio management.

Job Purpose Overview:

The role holder is responsible for providing strategic, business-focused legal advice and transaction support across Dubai Holding Land Estates (DHLE) to effectively manage legal risk for real estate master planning, land-use changes, leasing, and infrastructure awarding. The role holder leads drafting and negotiation of land investor agreements and development transactions; ensures compliance with applicable UAE laws, regulations, and DH governance; interfaces with government and regulatory authorities to secure approvals and registrations; and communicates legal risks, implications, and options to senior leadership to enable informed, timely decision-making.

Key Responsibilities:

Legal Advisory & Risk Management

• Act as a strategic legal advisor to DHLE, providing expert legal counsel to senior leadership to support business initiatives.
• Provide strategic legal advice on master planning, land-use changes, parcel reconfiguration, leasing, and infrastructure awarding.
• Identify and mitigate planning, procurement, construction, and leasing risks; maintain a legal risk register for major land transactions and infrastructure packages.
• Advise on all applicable legal and regulatory matters across the UAE and relevant international jurisdictions to protect the group’s interests.
• Manage and oversee the Group’s trademark portfolio and ensure effective protection of intellectual property rights, including enforcement actions.
• Monitor changes in laws, regulations, and market practices, ensuring timely communication of impacts to leadership.
• Support and collaborate with Dubai Holding Corporate teams (Litigation, Financing, Employment, Data Privacy, Corporate Affairs) and provide CE-level reporting on key matters.

Government, Regulatory & Approvals

• Lead legal interactions with DLD, DDA/Trakhees, Dubai Municipality, and other regulatory authorities including utility entities on legal matters to secure land registration, zoning/land-use change, masterplan approvals and permits.
• Advise on development obligations, impact fees, public realm commitments, and utility interface agreements; negotiate servitudes/easements, rights-of-way, and utility corridor documentation.

Contract Management and Development Controls

• Lead and review contract drafting, negotiation, and finalization to ensure agreements accurately reflect commercial intent and comply with internal policies and applicable laws.
• Ensure leasing contracts and all standard agreements are updated, uniform, and aligned with regulatory requirements and internal guidelines.
• Draft, review, and negotiate SPAs, MoUs, Option Agreements, Development Agreements, JV/Shareholders Agreements, and co-development arrangements.
• Develop and/or review Master Community Declarations, Development Control Regulations (DCRs), ARC approvals frameworks, and governance of common areas/infrastructure.

Vendor Selection & Management

• Evaluate, recommend, and manage external legal counsel to ensure access to specialized, high-quality, and cost-effective legal support.
• Maintain strong professional relationships with external law firms and legal service providers.
• Monitor vendor performance, ensuring timely and high-quality deliverables, and escalate issues where corrective action is needed.

Policies, Processes, Systems & Procedures

• Support the development and enhancement of legal policies, systems, processes, and controls to deliver excellence, innovation, and compliance.
• Oversee the implementation of major legal procedural standards and ensure all areas of the function adhere to regulatory and internal governance requirements.
• Own DHLE Legal template suite for transactions, leases, and procurement; implement approval matrices, contract routing, and document control; integrate with BCM and governance requirements

Key Requirements:

• Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B) or Juris Doctor (J.D) or equivalent from an internationally recognized law school or university and admission (to the relevant bar or equivalent) to practice law in a recognized jurisdiction.
• Minimum 8 years of post-qualification legal experience.
• Senior roles within in-house legal functions or recognized law firms, with strong exposure to real estate development, land transactions, leasing, and infrastructure/EPC contracting.
• Demonstrable track record advising senior management on complex land, planning, and commercial matters across UAE.
• Extensive knowledge of the UAE’s Federal and Emirate laws, regulations, and standards.

About the Benefits:

At Dubai Holding, we're committed to nurturing the success and well-being of our colleagues. Join our dynamic and diverse team, and enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes competitive compensation, career development opportunities, and a collaborative work environment. We strongly believe in creating an empowered workforce that will help us build a connected city for tomorrow. We are committed to attracting the brightest minds and nurturing the most pioneering candidates who desire to make a great impact on the future of Dubai.