As the UAE capital pursues a measured growth strategy, Yasser Omar, executive partner of Hadef & Partners’ Abu Dhabi office, reflects on institutional strength, regulatory evolution, and what sets the emirate’s legal market apart.
Abu Dhabi’s economic narrative has long been shaped by a deliberate approach to growth. As the UAE’s capital, the emirate has prioritised institutional strength and strategic investment across priority sectors.
For Yasser Omar, executive partner of Hadef & Partners’ Abu Dhabi office and head of corporate and commercial, this measured approach underpins Abu Dhabi’s position as a legal and commercial centre.
“Abu Dhabi is the capital. It is the seat of federal entities and ministries, and that shapes how the market develops,” he says.
Over decades, the emirate has channelled capital into infrastructure, energy, and technology among other key industries, supported by some of the world’s most influential sovereign wealth funds. The result is an economy defined less by short-term cycles and more by long-term strategy.
“There has always been a clear long-term vision,” he adds.
From direct investment to commercial execution
Historically, the Abu Dhabi government has played a key role in driving the region’s economy. That model has evolved in recent years with the creation of entities such as ADQ, which operate at arm’s length from government while delivering strategic objectives.
“What has changed is not that the government has stepped away,” he explains. “It is how it operates. These entities now behave like private sector companies, even when they are fulfilling government strategy.”
This shift has helped execution across sectors, while preserving alignment with broader federal and local priorities. It has also created space for private sector growth, something that was far more limited two decades ago.
“Back then, the private sector was largely supporting oil and gas,” he says. “Today, you see private capital supporting new sectors as part of a broader drive for diversification.”
Tourism, hospitality, and logistics have all gained traction, complementing Abu Dhabi’s traditional strengths in infrastructure and energy.
“It may still be described as government-led,” he notes, “but the private sector now plays a meaningful and necessary role in delivering that vision.”
Laying foundations for market maturity
Looking ahead, infrastructure remains central to Abu Dhabi’s development agenda, particularly in light of the major projects underway. Investment is extending well beyond traditional energy assets to include ports, public transport, data centres, and more.
“When we talk about infrastructure, we are not just talking about oil and gas,” he says. “We are talking about what supports future expansion.”
Capital markets have also moved firmly into focus. A steady stream of initial public offerings (IPOs) on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) over recent years has drawn both regional and international attention, reinforcing confidence in the market’s depth.
“The more IPOs that are executed, the more mature the market becomes,” says Omar, who has been with Hadef & Partners for more than 14 years. “There is a strong local investor base, and any listing here attracts global interest.”
Regulatory reform has been instrumental in that progress. Updates to the Commercial Companies Law and improved coordination between regulators have streamlined listing processes.
“The regulators are now far more familiar with the IPO process,” he adds. “Execution is improving with every transaction.”
A firm embedded in the framework
Few firms are as closely linked to Abu Dhabi’s legal development as Hadef & Partners. With 45 years on the ground and involvement in drafting more than 250 federal and local laws and regulations, the firm occupies a unique position in the market.
“We have been part of shaping the legal framework,” says Omar. “That gives us an in-depth understanding of the system to support both the public and private sector.”
It also enables the firm to identify opportunities for improvement, particularly in relation to regulation for artificial intelligence (AI), which Omar describes as still in its “infancy”, but, for now, beneficial for the sector until a more robust framework is in place.
Cross-border collaboration
Despite its strong local focus, cross-border work remains a core component of Hadef & Partners’ practice, particularly on major corporate transactions. The firm regularly collaborates with UK and US law firms, acting as local counsel and strategic adviser.
“International firms come to us because they know we understand the UAE legal system in depth,” he says.
Hadef & Partners has deliberately avoided formal alliances or overseas expansion, choosing instead to preserve its independence.
“Our strategy is to be the go-to firm in the UAE,” he says. “We wanted to avoid anything that could dilute the brand or limit our ability to work with different firms.”
That flexibility is often tested when global firms apply foreign concepts to local transactions. “Not every approach that works elsewhere will work here,” he cautions. “Sometimes our role is to explain that and help find a solution that fits the local framework.”
With more international firms establishing a presence in Abu Dhabi, competition has increased—but Omar views the trend pragmatically.
“We do not see new entrants as hostile competitors,” he says. “We see opportunities for collaboration.”
The firm’s advantage, he believes, lies in relationships and experience that cannot be replicated quickly. “Institutional knowledge built over 45 years is not something you can recreate overnight,” he adds. “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, such as advising on the first ever IPO in the UAE; advising on the establishment of the first Islamic bank in Abu Dhabi through a public offering, drafting the first musataha agreement, the first issuance of subordinated mandatory convertible bonds, and advising on the first ever financial restructuring application to the Financial Restructuring Committee of the UAE Ministry of Finance.”
For new firms entering the market, his advice is straightforward. “Understand the local culture and how the legal system works. Do not try to force foreign concepts onto the market—merge your expertise with local practice.”
Looking ahead
For the year ahead, Hadef & Partners’ Abu Dhabi office is focused on deepening expertise in sectors emerging from economic diversification, while continuing to invest in technology and AI to improve efficiency.
In a capital defined by long-term vision, Abu Dhabi’s legal market continues to evolve with purpose— and for firms aligned with that approach, the opportunities remain substantial.
This article was first published in the February 2026 print issue of Law Middle East.