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Our Mission

Where Legacy meets Vision

In a world of rapid change, understanding where you’re heading starts with analysing where you’ve been. While some simply talk about change, we study it, plan for it, and ensure our clients thrive from it. 

At Hadef & Partners, we’ve spent decades embracing change in the UAE and beyond, harnessing the law’s potential to advance ambition and drive progress. For over 40 years, we have served our clients with commitment and integrity, helping them develop business, protect assets, settle disputes, and move forward with confidence. 

Success in these critical moments requires a focused vision, tenacious approach and detailed understanding of our clients and the sectors in which they operate. Applying unique insight, strategic foresight and an unrelenting pursuit of excellence, we deliver bespoke advice that ensures your business remains one step ahead.  

At Hadef & Partners, legacy meets vision. 

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Values

Our Purpose

To promote progress, advance ambition and create confidence.

Our Promise

We act with vision and precision, preparing you for what’s next.

Our Principles

Focused Vision

Real progress requires the ability to see beyond the ordinary, a rigorous approach, and passion for moving our world forward. 

Precise Standards

We never settle for ’good enough’ and always deliver excellence. 

Detailed Understanding

We take time to nurture relationships, ensuring we exceed the expectations of our clients and our people. 

Our Leadership

Dr. Hadef Al Dhaheri
His Excellency Dr. Hadef Al Dhaheri founded the firm that bears his name, Hadef & Partners, in 1980 and was a senior partner until his appointment as Minister of Justice for the UAE in February 2008.
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Sadiq Jafar
Sadiq Jafar is the Managing Partner of Hadef & Partners. He has extensive corporate and commercial law experience, particularly in respect of inward investment, joint ventures, banking and finance, energy and infrastructure, and mergers and acquisitions.
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Dr. Faraj Ahnish
Dr. Faraj Ahnish is a Founding Partner of the firm. He is responsible for a wide range of matters in a partnership dealing predominantly with government and commercial work and selective commercial litigation and arbitration.
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Legacy

Market Leaders

Our firm has grown in tandem with the UAE, and we have helped to shape the fabric of the country through our advice on a number of landmark projects, transactions and legislative developments.

  • Advised on the first Initial Public Offering (IPO)

    1995

    Abu Dhabi Ship Building PJSC

    Advised on the first ever initial public offering in the UAE – the incorporation of Abu Dhabi Ship Building PJSC and the offering of its shares to the general public.

  • Advised on the establishment of the first Islamic bank through a public offering - Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank PJSC

    1997

    Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank PJSC

    Advised on the establishment of the first ever Islamic Bank through a public offering in the UAE. The Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank was established on 20 May 1997 as a Public Joint Stock Company through the Amiri Decree No. 9 of 1997. The Bank commenced commercial operations on 11 November 1998. 

  • Advised on the first Offset Project - The Offset Programme of the UAE Armed Forces.

    2003

    UAE Armed Forces

    Advised on the first ever Offset Project in the UAE. The UAE creates economic opportunities in the private sector through its Offset Programme that seeks to capitalize on the country’s extensive defense procurements. The Programme began when the UAE modernized its armed forces in the late 1980s. 

  • The Fujairah 1 IWPP

    2004

    The Fujairah 1 IWPP

    We acted on the first Independent Water and Power Plant (IWPP) undertaken in the Emirate of Fujairah for Emirates Sembcorp Water & Power Co, the sponsors to the project who were 40% JV partners with ADWEA. The IWPP was project financed and required us to interface with the Fujairah authorities to a substantial extent to register the security required by the financiers which had never been done before in Fujairah.

    The Fujairah 1 (F1) IWPP is one of the largest operating hybrid desalination plants in the world with a power capacity of 893 megawatts and a seawater desalination capacity of 100 million imperial gallons or 455,000 cubic meters per day. The hybrid seawater desalination plant employs a combination of Multi-stage Flash and Reverse Osmosis technologies.

    F1 was followed by F2 which we also acted on which was the second and only other IWPP undertaken in Fujairah.

  • Advised on the first Initial Public Offering (IPO)

    2004

    Saadiyat Island

    In 2004 we acted for the Government of Abu Dhabi in the re-classification of Saadiyat Island as a hub for cultural, touristic and residential real estate projects. We assisted in the establishment of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, together with its subsidiary Tourism & Development Investment Company (TDIC) which was entrusted with the development of the Saadiyat Island projects. Today Saadiyat Island is home to a number of 5 star hotels, thousands of luxury residential units, a Gary Player designed golf course, a major campus for New York University, Zayed National Museum and The Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum.

  • Abu Dhabi Central Market redevelopment

    2005

    Abu Dhabi Central Market redevelopment

    Musataha contracts are a type of land ownership agreement that allows the holder of the contract to rent a plot of land owned by the government. We drafted the first of these agreements for an Abu Dhabi entity.

  • Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi PPP

    2005

    Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi PPP

    Advised on the first ever PPP in the Middle East for an educational facility. On 19 February 2006 the Abu Dhabi government and Sorbonne University signed a partnership agreement to establish the new Paris Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi. 

  • federal

    2009

    Federal Supreme Court

    The Federal Supreme Court of the United Arab Emirates is the highest federal court in the country. We advised on the first litigation case where the result required the Federal Supreme Court to reverse precedents.

  • Advised on the first IWPP refinancing by way of a bond and debt refinance.

    2012

    Shuweihat 2

    Shuweihat 2 is an independent water and power project located in Abu Dhabi. It commenced operations in early March 2012 with a capacity of 1,510MW of electricity and 100 million gallons of water a day.

    The sponsor consortium consists of Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), GDF Suez, Marubeni Corporation and Osaka Gas. The existing debt is split between a JBIC US$1 billion loan and loans from other international and regional banks.

    The now award winning refinancing included repayment of debt and equity and a US$825million bond issue under rule 144A. We acted for all foreign and local sponsors including GDF Suez, Marubeni, Osaka, TAQA group, ADWEA, ADWEC, Government of Abu Dhabi and the Shared Facilities Company.

    It was the first time a Middle Eastern IWPP utility company had used the bond markets to refinance debts which may set a benchmark for future refinancings of IWPPs.

  • Re-domiciliation of UAE-based mutual funds to Luxembourg

    2012

    Re-domiciliation of UAE-based mutual funds to Luxembourg

    Luxembourg is the leading non-Muslim domicile for Sharia-compliant investment funds. We advised on the first re-domiciliation of UAE-based mutual funds to Luxembourg.

  • Emirates REIT

    2016

    Emirates REIT

    Founded in 2010, Emirates REIT became the first Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in the Middle East.

  • Mandatory Convertible Bonds

    2016

    Mandatory Convertible Bonds

    Advised an Abu Dhabi based leading multi-line insurance provider on the issuance of subordinated mandatory convertible bonds. This was the first issuance of its kind in the UAE, with no precedents for such matters.

     

  • UAE Space Law

    2017

    UAE Space Law

    Advised and drafted on the UAE Space Law. The UAE Space Agency was created in 2014 and is responsible for developing and regulating the space sector in the UAE.

  • UAE Corporate Tax

    2022

    UAE Corporate Tax

    Advised on the drafting of the UAE Corporate Taxation Legal Framework, resulting in the introduction of a federal corporate tax on business profits for the first time.

  • Fertiglobe

    2022

    Fertiglobe

    We advised Fertiglobe, as local UAE Counsel, to become the first free zone company to list onshore in the UAE. 

  • Invictus Investment Company Plc.

    2022

    Invictus Investment Company Plc.

    Invictus Investment Co. PLC is registered in Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM), and listed on Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) Growth Market on June 29, 2022 – the first ADGM company to do so.

  • Watania and Dar Al Takaful PJSC Merger

    2022

    Watania and Dar Al Takaful PJSC Merger

    This merger brought together two successful businesses to form a Takaful insurance powerhouse able to leverage economies of scale to develop innovative Islamic insurance solutions.

  • kbbo

    2023

    KBBO Restructuring

    We led the KBBO Group in a high profile, groundbreaking Abu Dhabi court restructuring