Chief Specialist, Legal Studies

Core Functional Responsibilities & Subject Matter Expertise

• Conducts in-depth legal benchmarking and research on regional and international laws, regulatory frameworks, and judicial precedents relevant to DET’s scope, supporting the strategic positioning of Dubai’s legislative environment across tourism, economic development, licensing, SMEs, consumer protection, and intellectual property.

• Conducts high-impact comparative legal research, critically analyzing and evaluating the implications of foreign legislative frameworks on Dubai’s regulatory environment, and disseminates insights to internal departments and strategic external stakeholders to foster legal alignment and global competitiveness.

• Contributes to legislative development at local and federal levels by preparing policy-aligned research and targeted legal studies that support drafting, amending, or evaluating economic and tourism-related legislation.

• Formulates legal recommendations on administrative policies and decisions, ensuring their compliance with prevailing laws and DET’s regulatory framework, while enhancing institutional accountability and governance standards.

• Monitors and enforces compliance with applicable legislation across DET’s regulated sectors by applying legal powers and interpreting statutory obligations to support effective governance and risk mitigation.

• Provides high-level legal advisory services to DET leadership and strategic stakeholders, addressing legislative inquiries, minimizing legal exposure, and safeguarding the organization’s interests.

• Legal handling of internal and external grievances, transferring cases to the Central Grievances Committee (CGC) and providing sound legal assessments on employee-related disputes to mitigate escalation risks.

• Champions operational legal alignment within the Legislation & Dispute Sector, ensuring cohesive implementation of legal directives and adherence to government-wide statutory obligations.

• Implements legal exemptions for Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) for designated government entities in accordance with federal directives and international compliance obligations.

• Prepares and files Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) with the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit, ensuring full adherence to AML/CTF reporting protocols and enhancing national financial security.

• Develops and institutionalizes a tailored risk assessment framework to proactively identify and address legal vulnerabilities related to Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) obligations.

• Designs and delivers structured legal awareness and capacity-building programs, strengthening legal literacy across DET and among external partners to enhance sectoral compliance and legal responsiveness.

• Audits departmental legal compliance with evolving regulatory frameworks and recommends course corrections to ensure ongoing alignment with national and Emirate-level mandates.

• Achieves assigned KPIs and SLAs through accurate, efficient legal research and advisory work, while proposing enhancements to optimize results based on performance reviews.

• Mentors legal peers through expert contributions in training and knowledge-sharing forums, accelerating team-wide capacity to resolve complex disputes in accordance with international legal best practices.

• Collaborates with internal departments and government entities to address legal performance gaps, design preventive strategies, and ensure institutional readiness for emerging legal challenges.

• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to address performance issues, rectify them, and proactively mitigate future risks.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Law or any related discipline A Master's degree or MBA is highly preferred.

• Professional certifications such as Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM), Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP) or Certified Legal Manager (CLM) are advantageous.

• Certified by the UAE Ministry of Justice and UAE official entities.

• A minimum of 11 years of legal experience in legal roles with a focus on legislative drafting, review, and implementation, particularly in sectors related to the economy and tourism.

• Proven track record of providing legal oversight, auditing, and guidance within a large organization or government entity, ensuring compliance with local and federal legislation.

• Experience in managing the proposal, drafting, and issuance of new legislation and policies, with a deep understanding of the economic and tourism sectors.

• Extensive experience working with governmental entities, including local councils and federal committees, to review legislation and secure necessary approvals.

• Experience in leading a team of legal professionals, overseeing operations, and ensuring the team's performance aligns with service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs).