UAE & GCC • Construction • Real Estate • Government • Arbitration
Mohamed Ashraf AbouOmar is a senior legal counsel advising developers, contractors, government‑linked entities, and investors across the UAE and GCC — on construction, real estate, joint ventures, and arbitration, with a decade of hands‑on experience inside the region's built environment.
Expertise
Negotiation and administration of FIDIC‑based EPC, design‑build, and turnkey contracts. Bespoke amendments, claims management, EOT and variation disputes, and dispute board advisory across large‑scale infrastructure and hospitality developments.
Acquisitions, development structuring, lease arrangements, and construction interface agreements for mixed‑use, hospitality, and infrastructure projects — aligned with DLD, RERA, and DTCM regulatory frameworks.
Advisory to government and semi‑government entities on infrastructure and development projects delivered through PPP and concession‑style structures — covering procurement, contracting strategy, and long‑term risk allocation.
Representation in complex construction and real estate arbitrations under DIAC, ICC, and ADCCAC — plus enforcement and annulment proceedings, litigation before Dubai Courts, and cross‑border dispute strategy.
Approach
Identify the commercial and legal exposure early — contractual, regulatory, and reputational — before it hardens into a dispute.
Build a documentation record capable of withstanding scrutiny in arbitration, litigation, or negotiation.
Set a clear route — settlement, formal notice, or dispute resolution — matched to the client's commercial objective.
Manage the matter to conclusion with discipline, keeping the client informed and in command of every decision.
Regional Experience
LLB (Bachelor of Laws), Faculty of Law — English Department, Alexandria University.
Advocacy License — Egyptian Bar Association. Common‑Law qualification in progress.
Fluent in Arabic and English; legal translation and drafting (Arabic ⇄ English), including commercial, petroleum, maritime & aviation contracts.
Figures and mandates below are drawn from Mohamed's professional record and presented as a summary of experience, not as verified case outcomes for publication.
Lead Counsel in an AED 120 million real estate arbitration before DIAC, securing a favorable award against a semi‑government master developer.
60 cases won before Dubai Courts, including at Cassation stage, for a real estate company against a government developer — total claim value AED 7.1 billion.
Legal structuring of a multi‑billion‑dirham joint venture with a leading UAE construction tycoon, and acquisition of Dubai Exhibition Center land from EXPO.
Nullification of two real estate arbitration awards with a combined value exceeding AED 220 million; enforcement of two DIAC awards recovering over AED 160 million.
Lead Counsel in an AED 170 million ADCCAC construction dispute, and advisor on an AED 850 million construction subcontract dispute alongside international counsel.
Strategic counsel to Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company on an AED 1.3 billion contractor termination dispute; contributor to VARA's regulatory framework and DWTCA Freezone guidelines for virtual asset companies.
“Clarity is discipline. The strongest position in any dispute is a documentation record built before the dispute existed.”— Mohamed Ashraf AbouOmar
Insights
Commentary on construction claims, arbitration practice, and regulatory developments across the UAE and GCC. Follow along for the latest posts.
A look at how the 2023 Federal Arbitration Law and the 2022 DIAC Rules interact with FIDIC‑governed contracts, and what that means for EOT and variation claims.
Read on LinkedIn →Notes from advising government and semi‑government entities on concession‑style delivery models for infrastructure and development projects.
Read on LinkedIn →Practical lessons on award enforcement strategy, drawn from real estate and construction dispute practice across the UAE.
Read on LinkedIn →Illustrative post topics shown above — replace with live post links once published.
Consultation
Share a short outline of the matter. All enquiries are treated confidentially and reviewed personally.