Speakers

Asad is a leading capital markets, banking and finance and corporate/commercial lawyer with over 24 years of experience gained in Oman, the United Kingdom and Pakistan and is qualified as a Barrister as well as a Solicitor to practice law in England and Wales and has also been called to the Bar in Pakistan. He leads the multi-award-winning boutique law firm, MAQ Legal, which has the distinction of having been named “Oman Law Firm of the Year” and awarded the “Rising Star Law Firm of the Year” for the entire Middle East and North Africa region by LexisNexis and IFLR. He also led the MAQ Legal Capital Markets team which is the only firm to have advised on all of the recent IPOs in Oman; including, the largest IPO in Oman’s history, being, OQ Exploration and Production SAOG. In addition to his work on the Capital Markets side, which includes IPOs, bonds, sukuk and funds, Asad regularly advised the Government of Oman and corporate clients on banking and finance, oil and gas and M&A matters. He is ranked ‘Band 1’ by Chambers and Partners for Corporate and Finance matters and the publication has referred to him as “one of the best lawyers in the GCC”.

Ali is a non-executive director at Decree. He has over 16 years of experience working as a lawyer for the government of Oman, in private practice, and in a state-owned enterprise in the waste management sector. His areas of subject matter expertise include environmental law, commercial law, and litigation. He holds an LLB from the University of Swansea, an LLM in French and European Union Law from Cergy-Pontoise University in France, and an LLM in International Commercial Law from the University of Dundee.

Dr. Almuatasim Musabah Saif Al Mutairi is a distinguished finance professional with a proven track record of excellence in Oman’s capital markets. Holding a PhD in Business Management, a Master’s in Investment and Financial Management, and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Finance, Dr. Almuatasim brings deep expertise and strategic insight to the financial industry.

He has been instrumental in leading some of Oman’s most prominent financial milestones, including the country’s largest IPOs (OQEP and Asyad Shipping) and mega private placement transactions. His extensive experience spans Equity Capital Markets (ECM), Debt Capital Markets (DCM), Private Equity, asset management, and custody services, making him a key figure in shaping Oman’s financial landscape.

With his profound knowledge and hands-on experience, Dr. Almuatasim is a sought-after thought leader and trusted advisor in the financial sector. His dynamic leadership and commitment to excellence have established him as an influential voice in the region’s investment banking and capital markets, making him an extraordinary addition to the panel discussion.

Azzan is a dynamic executive in the energy sector, with a proven track record of value creation spanning more than two decades. He currently serves as Chief Portfolio Officer at OQ Group, where he oversees the Group’s subsidiaries and assets, managing a portfolio of approximately $12 billion. Azzan is recognized as a distinguished deal architect and commercial leader. Over the course of his career, he has held senior leadership roles with both national and multinational energy companies, covering Business Development, Asset Management, New Ventures, and Finance. In addition, he serves as a Board Director for Nama Electricity Distribution Company and Abraj Energy Services. Across his career, Azzan has delivered transactions exceeding $10 billion, including four recent IPOs of OQ subsidiaries, several of which stand among the largest public offerings in Oman’s history.

Bishr is responsible for the governance, risk management, and compliance “GRC” function at Rakiza. He is experienced in establishing and managing Risk and Compliance departments based on international best practices. A lawyer by profession, he blends his legal skills and GRC know-how to effectively lead a second line of defense in organizations. He spearheaded the GRC practices in different industries spanning from Real Estate Development, Tourism, Investment Management, and Food Production. In his spare time, Bishr lectures on Corporate Governance in the Modern College of Business & Sciences. Bishr holds an LLB from the University of Hull and, MA in International Relations and Security Studies from Sultan Qaboos University (his MA thesis was on Oman’s Grand Strategy for Regional Dominance). He is an Associate member of the UK-based Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment and holds a Governance, Risk and Compliance Professional Certificate from the USA.

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Faisal Al Rashdi is FALC’s founder and Managing Partner. His leadership is rooted in over 20 years of legal experience, particularly in the energy, construction, and infrastructure sectors. His deep expertise in complex commercial transactions equips him to navigate the legal intricacies faced by growth ventures and venture capital funds in Oman. Faisal has an LLM from the University of Houston.

Gaurav has over 16+ years of post qualification experience of working with Big4 consulting firms, multinational corporates, his own practice as a tax specialist and volunteering many non-profitable positions thereby experiencing the wide expectations from the various stakeholders.

Qualified in 2006 and known as a tax specialist covering wide range of taxes throughout his career on Income Tax, Value Added Tax, Customs, Excise, Withholding tax, Wealth Tax, Services Tax across the various geographies but mainly in India, Oman, UAE and Canada. For a short period, he had worked as a lawyer and had experience in civil and criminal cases. He has worked in almost all sectors of companies in Oman.

During his career Gaurav has led the implementation of many tax, legal, accounting and payroll related initiatives internally for Big4 and for various corporate and family business houses and therefore also known as an implementor in addition to being a tax specialist.

Outside work and professional passion, Gaurav likes to keep himself fit with outdoor activities and is currently heading the sports and cultural sub-committee of the Muscat Chapter and is also the immediate Past Chairperson of the Muscat Chapter.

His mantra of leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.

Khalid is a founding partner of MAQ Legal and regularly advises on Capital Market (Debt and Equity) issuances in the Sultanate of Oman. He is a Partner in the Capital Markets team and was instrumental in the IPOs of Abraj Energy Services SAOG and OQ Gas Networks SAOG. Khalid also leads the Regulatory team at MAQ Legal and has led the registration of a number of funds/ REITs and issuance of sukuk in Oman. He regularly advises the Government of Oman, Oman Investment Authority and most of the banks licensed to practice in the country.

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Malik Al-Hashmi is a legal, compliance and governance specialist with several years of experience in the banking, financial, technology and telecommunications industries mainly. He holds a Bachelor’s Joint Degree in Business Law and Finance from the University of Strathclyde in the United Kingdom and a Master’s Degree in Law and International Commercial Law from Robert Gordon University in the United Kingdom. Additionally, he has completed the International Advanced Certificate in Anti-Money Laundering (AML) from the International Compliance Association (ICA) in association with the University of Manchester. Malik has also served as the Legal Advisor, Mentor and Translator of the Robert Gordon University Law Clinic in Scotland.

Mohammed Al-Badi is a software engineer at Decree and is responsible for developing Decree’s AI solutions on the web and on mobile. He holds a Bachelors of Computer Science in Applied Software Engineering from Cardiff University.

Mohammed Al Mazrui is a New Zealand-qualified corporate lawyer with experience in New Zealand and Oman. Mohammed worked with Oman’s fastest-growing venture capital funds and tech companies and regularly advises clients on corporate governance and technology.

Nic is Co-Managing Partner Oman and a market leading litigator. He is highly experienced in commercial, construction and insurance disputes. Nic has appeared in an array of major arbitrations before the International Chamber of Commerce, London Court of International Arbitration, Singapore International Arbitration Centre and in various ad hoc proceedings. Whilst practicing in the Sultanate of Oman, Nic has been instructed in some of the most significant and market leading disputes in the nation. He works closely with DLA’s in-house team of Omani advocates in advising clients on disputes before higher courts in the Sultanate. Nic regularly acts for major international investors and prominent commercial and government sector enterprises. He often advises on non-contentious matters such as insurance and cyber risk and construction project documentation, including Omani Standard Form and FIDIC contracts. Nic is ranked prominently in both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, with one review noting: “Nic Henrikson has that valuable ability of quickly being able identify the key issues and advise on them unambiguously.’” One client remarked: “[He] is often seen as the first choice among larger international firms for advice on Omani law issues.” Another client remarked: “Nic Henrikson is very easy to deal with, commercial and sharp – highly recommended.” He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK).

Riyadh is the Chief Executive Officer at Decree. Prior to working at Decree, he worked for over 16 years as a legal advisor in the Ministry of Legal Affairs and later its successor the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs. His areas of subject matter expertise include public international law, technology law, and intellectual property. He holds an LLB from the University of Cardiff, an LLM in IT and Commerce from Southampton University, and a PhD from SOAS, University of London.

Salim Al Sinawi is an Omani counsel specialising in energy and environmental law, with experience across Oman and the UAE in both conventional oil and gas and renewables including green hydrogen, solar, and wind. Formerly with Shell and an EIA subsidiary, he advised on transactions and overhauled contractual frameworks. He now serves in Oman’s renewable energy sector, supporting the national energy transition. His expertise blends deep knowledge of Omani law with practical experience in structuring contracts and delivering projects, placing him at the intersection of legal strategy and sustainable energy development.

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Sultan Al-Ghafri is a co-founder and the Managing Partner of K&Co. He holds a Bachelor of Laws in Commercial Law from Sultan Qaboos University and a Master’s degree in International Trade Law from Paris-Descartes University (Paris V). He has also completed professional development programs in commercial contracts, financial law, and investment at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Mr. Al-Ghafri is an experienced litigator and dispute resolution specialist with a focus on commercial arbitration, particularly in cases involving financial disputes and construction disputes governed by FIDIC Contracts and Omani Standard Terms and Conditions (1981 and 2019 Editions). He is actively involved in legal research and has contributed to scholarly work on commercial arbitration, human trafficking, and commercial competition. His Master’s thesis focused on commercial competition and its protection in the European Union and GCC states.

Legal and compliance professional with over 8 years’ experience in financial services and energy sectors, specializing in governance frameworks, regulatory compliance, and ethics programs. Skilled in drafting policies, conducting compliance reviews, as well as designing and delivering trainings.

Yahya Al Mandhari is a corporate lawyer specialized in large corporations and projects. Yahya has extensive experience with clients in infrastructure, telecommunications, banking, and finance. Yahya takes a strategic, comprehensive view to projects, with a goal to maximize value for clients.

Yousuf is the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors at Decree and Vice President – Legal at Asyad Group. He is a dual-qualified lawyer in Oman and England & Wales, with over 15 years of experience spanning private practice, government, and in-house roles. He has extensive experience in infrastructure and energy projects, and regularly advises on the energy transition. He holds an LLB from the University of Hull, an LLM in International Commercial Law from the University of Birmingham, and an MBA from Waseda University in Japan. He is fluent in Arabic, English, and Japanese.

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Yousuf is the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors at Decree and Vice President – Legal at Asyad Group. He is a dual-qualified lawyer in Oman and England & Wales, with over 15 years of experience spanning private practice, government, and in-house roles. He has extensive experience in infrastructure and energy projects, and regularly advises on the energy transition. He holds an LLB from the University of Hull, an LLM in International Commercial Law from the University of Birmingham, and an MBA from Waseda University in Japan. He is fluent in Arabic, English, and Japanese.

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