A group of talented lawyers in Riyadh is recognized as some of the most famous lawyers in the Arab world. They are distinguished by their ability to defend clients in various high-profile cases, whether representing celebrities or handling commercial and criminal matters. Their expertise extends to legal battles in business and crime, making them prominent figures among the Top 10 Lawyers in the Arab World. Their achievements and dedication have secured their place as icons of excellence in the field of law, establishing them as the best lawyers in Saudi Arabia and allowing them to be associated with leading international law firms in Saudi Arabia.
The text discusses the top 10 lawyers in the Arab world, emphasizing that those mentioned are practicing lawyers or judges. It acknowledges that there are other skilled lawyers, including those in Riyadh and international law firms in Saudi Arabia, and the best lawyer in Saudi Arabia, who might not be featured in this list.
1. Lawyer Farid El-Deeb: A prominent figure in the world of law
Farid El-Deeb (1943-2022) is considered one of the most famous criminal lawyers in the Arab world. He sparked widespread controversy in Egyptian society due to the prominent cases he defended, most notably the defense of former President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak in what was known as the "Case of the Century." He is considered the most famous lawyer in Egypt and is known for being among the best lawyers in this field.
El-Deeb graduated from the Faculty of Law at Cairo University with a very good grade and began his career as a deputy to the Public Prosecutor. However, he was excluded during the massacre of judges in 1969. After returning to the judiciary during the era of Mohamed Anwar Sadat, he decided to move to the legal profession in 1971, becoming one of the most prominent names in the field of criminal law.
The most prominent cases he worked on include his defense of the family of former President Anwar Sadat, in addition to his defense of the Israeli spy Azzam Azzam. Farid El-Deeb is considered the most famous lawyer in the Arab world, and he achieved remarkable success by acquitting his former president's client in the case of the century, which strengthens his position as one of the top 10 lawyers in the world. Farid El-Deeb’s influence is not limited to the Egyptian arena, but extends to the Arab world as a whole, making him a symbol of excellence in the legal profession and one of the famous names of lawyers who played a vital role in the history of law in the region.
2. Lawyer Najeeb Al-Nuaimi: Human Rights Defender
Dr. Najeeb Al-Nuaimi, born in Doha on March 21, 1959, is considered one of the most famous lawyers in the Arab world and played a prominent role as a member of the defense team for former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Al-Nuaimi is known as one of the best lawyers in the world in the field of human rights, and he previously defended the Qatari poet Mohammed Rashid Al-Ajami, known as “Ibn Al-Dheeb”.
Al-Nuaimi served as a member of the Advisory Board of the Arab Program for Human Rights Activists, a non-governmental organization concerned with human rights in the Arab world. He also served as Minister of Justice in the Qatari government from 1995 to 1997 and also worked as a professor of public law at Qatar University.
Over the years, Najeeb Al-Nuaimi has been known for his advocacy on issues related to the rights of foreign and migrant workers in Qatar, especially in the context of reports of labor rights violations in the 2022 World Cup facilities. He also chaired a committee in 2003 to defend Islamist prisoners in Guantanamo. Al-Nuaimi is an example of a smart lawyer who continues to work for justice and human rights and is considered one of the most famous names in the Arab world.
3. Lawyer Mohamed Bahaa El Din Abu Shoka: A Pioneer in the World of Defense
Mohamed Bahaa El Din Abu Shoka is a prominent Egyptian lawyer, considered one of the most successful young lawyers in the Arab world. He is the son of Counselor Bahaa El Din Abu Shoka and obtained his PhD in Criminal Sciences in 2005. Abu Shoka is known as one of the most famous lawyers in Egypt and the Arab world thanks to the important cases he defended.
Among the famous cases, Abu Shoka defended Hisham Talaat Moustafa in the Suzanne Tamim murder case, and he also defended businessman Ahmed Ezz in the iron licenses case, and the rights of Mohamed El Amin, making him one of the top 10 lawyers in the world in his field. Mohamed Abu Shoka is considered one of the strongest lawyers in the criminal field, as he is known for the strength of his legal arguments. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi chose him to be an advisor to his election campaign in 2014 and 2018, in appreciation of his high efficiency and great success. Abu Shoka's career shines among the names of famous lawyers in Egypt and the Arab world.
4. Lawyer Salah Al-Hujailan: One of the most famous lawyers in the Arab world
Salah Al-Hujailan is the most famous Saudi lawyer, graduated from the Faculty of Law at Cairo University in 1962, and obtained a Master's degree in Relations from California International University in 1968. He established his own office in the same year, to be one of the first lawyers to establish cooperative links with the most prominent international law firms in the Kingdom.
Al-Hujailan's office is distinguished by its diversity, as it includes 32 professors and lawyers from Arabs and foreigners in Riyadh and Jeddah, including his four sons, Hussam, Sultan, Fares, and Hanin, who have various experiences in the Kingdom and Britain.
The famous lawyer also signed a strategic alliance agreement with the British office of Freshfield, which is considered one of the best law firms in the world, to enhance cooperation in the field of legal consultations and joint lawsuits at the judicial and arbitration levels.
Salah Al-Hujailan is considered a brilliant and excellent lawyer. In 2004, he received a high British royal medal from the late Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who granted him the rank of Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Al-Hujailan is considered one of the top 10 lawyers in the world and is considered a role model in the field of law in the Arab world.
5. Lawyer Montaser El-Zayat: One of the most prominent lawyers in the Arab world
Montaser El-Zayat is one of the most famous and controversial lawyers in the Arab world, as he is considered the "lawyer of Islamic groups in Egypt". El-Zayat was born in 1956 in the city of Aswan of Nubian origins and is famous for defending Islamists from various groups in Egypt during the difficult years that the country witnessed in the nineties, as he was one of the most prominent lawyers representing Islamic detainees during the period of confrontation with the Hosni Mubarak regime.
El-Zayat was arrested several times, as he was the first accused in the case of belonging to the Jihad organization in 1981, and spent three years in prison. After that, he was arrested again in 1986, then in May 1987, and also in May 1994.
Al-Zayat has written many books of a legal and political nature, the most famous of which are "You are a detainee, what rights do you have?", "Jihad is a word", and "The road to Al-Qaeda", which highlights his name as an Egyptian lawyer with great influence in the legal and political arena. Montaser Al-Zayat is considered one of the most famous lawyers in Egypt and one of the distinguished figures among the top 10 lawyers in the Arab world in his field.
6. Lawyer Mortada Mansour: A prominent figure in the legal and political arena
Mortada Ahmed Mohamed Mansour (born June 17, 1952) is an Egyptian lawyer, judge, and politician known for his media personality. Mortada Mansour is considered one of the most famous lawyers in the Arab world, and he served as a member of the Egyptian House of Representatives twice, the first between 2000 and 2005, and the second between 2015 and 2020.
Mortada Mansour began his career as a brilliant lawyer, authoring several books on anti-corruption issues. In 2000, he won a parliamentary election, which added a new dimension to his career. 2015 saw him return to parliament, but he was unable to win the last elections in 2020.
Mansour has voluntarily pleaded in several prominent cases, including the case of “the martyr of chivalry Mahmoud Al-Banna”, the case of “the martyr of the ticket”, and the case of “the child Jana and her sister Amani”. He also played an important legal role as a representative of the “Al-Rayyan” group and expressed his political ambitions to run for the presidential elections in 2014, but later backed down.
On the sports front, Mansour headed the Zamalek Club for some time in 2005 and 2006 and returned to the presidency of the club from 2014 until his imprisonment on February 25, 2023.
As the most famous lawyer in Egypt, Mortada Mansour is part of the top 10 lawyers in the world and is considered one of the most famous lawyers in the Arab world.
7. Lawyer Rashid Abdulrahman Ibrahim: A pioneer in the field of law in Bahrain
Rashid Abdulrahman Ibrahim is a clever lawyer and the founder of the Rashid Abdulrahman Ibrahim Law Firm and Legal Consultations in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He has more than forty years of experience in the field of law, and he is considered one of the most famous lawyers in the Arab world.
Rashid Abdulrahman specializes in providing legal advice and legal services to individuals and companies in various fields such as banking, Islamic banking, insurance, contracting, commercial law, and company registration procedures, in addition to international commercial arbitration. He has participated in many arbitration cases at the local and international levels, where he acted as a representative of the parties or an arbitrator in arbitration bodies.
He currently holds the position of Chairman of the National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Bahrain and was a former member of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. In addition, he held the position of Notary Public for the State of Bahrain and Director of Courts at the Ministry of Justice and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Bar Association.
Rashid Abdulrahman is also a well-known speaker at legal conferences and workshops at the local and regional levels and is a lecturer at the Institute of Judicial and Legal Studies in Bahrain. He is considered one of the most famous lawyers not only in Bahrain but also in the Gulf region, making him one of the most prominent figures in the field of law.
8. Lawyer Hani Serry El Din: A pioneer in commercial law
Hani Serry El Din is a brilliant lawyer and one of the most famous lawyers in the Arab world. He was born in 1966 in Cairo Governorate. He graduated from the Faculty of Law, Cairo University in 1987 with a very good grade, and continued his studies to obtain a doctorate in international trade law from Queen Mary University in London, where he worked as a teacher and visiting professor.
Serry El Din began his legal career in 1996 as a shareholder in the Shalaqani Law Firm, specializing in the financial market and banking business. In 2002, he was appointed as a legal advisor to the Al Futtaim Group in the Emirates, and in 2005 he chaired the Board of Directors of the Capital Market Authority in Egypt, where he led the largest legislative and market reform process in the country, making the Egyptian financial market one of the most developed and regulated markets in the Middle East by the end of 2007.
He is also known for his influence in drafting many important economic legislations, such as the financial market regulations for investment funds, the Consumer Protection Law, and others, through his membership in the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.
Hani Serry El Din received the Academic Excellence Award from Cairo University in 2002 for his legal research, and his office, Serry El Din & Partners, was crowned the best law firm in Egypt in 2010 for providing distinguished legal services to the financial and banking sector.
Hani Serry El Din is considered one of the top 10 lawyers in the Arab world and is considered one of the most famous lawyers in Egypt.
9. Lawyer Nabih El Wahsh: The most prominent defender of values and society
Nabih El Wahsh is the most famous lawyer in Egypt and is known as the "artists' bogeyman", as he is famous for his provocative cases against the state and against some artists and the media. Nabih is considered one of the most famous lawyers in the Arab world, and he defends traditions and public morals.
His cases focused on hot topics, such as filing a lawsuit against Tamer Hosny for evading the army, where the court sentenced him to one year in prison. He also filed cases against Abeer Sabry for taking off her hijab and against Ruby for not following public taste in singing. In addition, he filed cases against important figures, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair for changing the police logo, and against the Minister of Education who allowed the belly dancer Dina to dance at school parties. He also submitted a warning to President Mubarak to request the dismissal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for failing to perform his duties.
Thanks to his courage in facing prominent cases and difficulties that many avoid, Nabih Al-Wahsh is considered one of the most famous lawyers in the Arab world and deserves his place among the most famous lawyers in the Arab world.
10. Lawyer Mohammed Naji Allaw: A prominent human rights activist in the Arab world
Mohammed Naji Allaw is a clever lawyer and a Yemeni and international human rights activist, known for his competence in the legal field. He is the President of the Aid Association for Human Rights and Migration, a Yemeni non-governmental organization founded in 2007 and with observer status at the United Nations.
Mohammed Naji obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from Sana’a University in 2000 and is a member of the Yemeni Bar Association and the Arab Lawyers Union in Cairo. In addition, he works as a certified writer and journalist, with a permit from the US State Department.
Mohammed Naji Allaw is also a major player in Yemeni politics, as he belongs to the General People’s Congress party and serves as a legal advisor to former leader Ali Abdullah Saleh. In conclusion, lawyers like Mohammed Allaw bear the responsibility of skillfully guiding their clients through the legal system, which emphasizes the importance of having a smart lawyer with strong communication skills and the ability to think analytically.
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