Essa Mohammed Al Sulaiti, Chairman, Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm • Interview
As a specialized law firm in the sports sector and a member of the AFC Legal Committee, Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm is recognized for its exemplary work in the industry, which will see a boost in Qatar in the coming years.
The labor market in Qatar has seen recent changes such as the introduction of a non-discriminatory minimum wage and the generalization of teleworking. How can we expect the labor market to evolve in the coming years?
The implementation of the new law aids the change to a more accomplished and dynamic workforce, which is key in order for the Qatar National Vision 2030 to be enabled. The labor market will grow and help support economic recovery from the crisis wrought by COVID-19. Economic growth will proceed to be long term. By introducing these significant changes, Qatar has now set a precedent and will continue to evolve and be committed to a having extremely prosperous labor market. The labor market will provide workers with more freedom and protection and, at the same time, provide employers with additional choices. Qatar aims to be a beacon of light when it comes to reforming the labor market. The labor reform speaks positively and is evident of moving forward and in the right direction. I believe Qatar will also introduce new labor reforms that will help it be even more competitive on a global scale.
You were appointed a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Legal Committee as well as a member of Qatar Sports Arbitration Foundation (QSAF). What does it mean for Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm as a specialized firm in the sports industry?
It is a great honor for me and my law firm to be appointed as a member of AFC Legal Committee as well as QSAF. As a specialized law firm in the sports sector, our goal is to become increasingly involved in the industry. As a professional in sports law, it is a dream to be recognized for the exemplary work that the law firm provides. Thus, through hard work, determination, and perseverance, only a select few have been appointed as members of the aforementioned entities. However, this comes with a great deal of responsibility, which Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm is ready to shoulder, due to the rapid growth of the sports industry in Qatar. Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm is extremely excited for the upcoming years, where the 2022 World Cup will be held, as well as the 2030 Asian games. This will be a monumental moment for Qatar and a valuable experience for our law firm, since we specialize in sports law.
What is Essa Al Sulaiti Firm’s outlook for 2021?
This is a success story. Even though COVID-19 has forced many businesses to hit a pause on their progression and initiatives, we have managed to push through and focus on how to thrive. We have accelerated our digitization by implementing new technology and attempting to only use soft copies and digital documents. We have evolved our customer relationship and services, because during the pandemic, we made ourselves easily available, even in the sanctuary of our own homes. This has built trust with our existing clientele in 2020, and it has proceeded to continue in 2021 with our existing and new clients. We have had an excellent start in 2021, with an increase of 25% of litigation work, as well as many new clients seeking counsel from our law firm. Legal services are one of the most important industries in the world markets. We are expecting to see an increase in demand for legal services. Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm can and will address this increased demand in the industry in many different ways. Finally, COVID-19 introduced special types of disputes and extremely challenging cases due to the sector being negatively affected economically. Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm was successful in securing several judgments for our client where COVID-19 was considered as force majeure, which will definitely be a seen as a benchmark for future cases.✖