Legal Counsel – Corporate & Commercial

Who we are

GIG Gulf (a Fairfax company) is part of the Gulf Insurance Group (GIG), the #1 largest regional composite insurer in the Middle East and North Africa, with presence in 12 markets including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Turkey. GIG Group reported consolidated assets of US$ 4.01 billion and $84 million net profit for the year 2024. The majority shareholder of GIG Group is Toronto based Fairfax Financial Holding, a global leader in insurance and reinsurance with a presence in 40 markets.

GIG Gulf is an ‘A’ rated regional insurer with a top 5 position in each of its markets (UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain). GIG Gulf has been present in the region for over 70 years with a strategic focus on both growth and investments and is a one stop shop offering a wide range of insurance products and services that cater to a broad variety of needs for corporates, SMEs and individual customers throughout UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar. GIG Gulf also owns a 50% stake in GIG Saudi. Our strategic objectives and guiding principles are focused on Regional Growth, Customer Experience and Digital Transformation.

GIG Gulf has created a diverse and inclusive working environment and culture with a workforce of over 800 employees, with over 60 nationalities, across 15 branches and retail shops region-wide and over 1 million customers. GIG Gulf is a caring partner that encourages customers to achieve their goals and live an inspiring and fulfilling life. We are obsessed with customer feedback and continuously evolving to become the region’s digital insurer of reference, committed to running our operations in a responsible, sustainable way.

Job purpose:

Providing legal advice across all relevant areas, with a focus on insurance matters to support the business stakeholders across the Gulf Region

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide in-house legal advice across all relevant departments, with a focus on contractual and insurance matters in the GCC (particularly Bahrain, UAE, Oman, and Qatar).
• Draft, negotiate, and amend a wide range of commercial agreements, including IT, outsourcing, broker agreements, marketing agreements, and insurance-specific contracts.
• Advise on broader commercial issues, including data protection and data usage within contractual arrangements.
• Monitor and interpret changes in laws and regulations across the GCC and assess their impact on business operations.
• Support the business in ensuring compliance with legal contracting procedures for effective procurement and negotiation.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders and operational teams.

Operational & Technical Responsibilities:

• Experience in reviewing and negotiating diverse commercial agreements, with strong drafting and negotiation skills.
• Ability to apply legal knowledge in a commercial context and work under time pressure.
• Flexible, adaptable, and proactive, with strong influencing skills.
• Previous private practice experience preferred; insurance industry experience is an advantage.
• Strong analytical skills with a solutions-oriented approach.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively as part of a team.
• Previous experience in the GCC.

Essential Requirements:

• Degree in Law
• 3-5 years of experience in corporate & commercial
• Insurance industry or financial services background
• Bilingual (Fluent in English and Arabic languages)