General Counsel | Ooredoo Group | Qatar
George Abi Saab is the General Counsel at Ooredoo Group since 2020, where he plays a pivotal role in managing and overseeing all legal aspects of the Group. In this capacity, he provides vital support to the Chairman and the Board of Directors on legal matters, develops the overarching legal strategy for mergers and acquisitions, and ensures the successful implementation and dissemination of these strategies. George collaborates closely with the strategy, digital, and finance teams to optimise financial, tax, and transaction structuring. One of George’s notable achievements was leading Ooredoo’s M&A expansion such leading the acquisition in Iraq, Tunisia and Kuwait as well as obtaining a license in Myanmar as well as leading many corporate finance work such as a USD 1.25 billion sukuk issuance. In addition, Georges has been leading the implementation of the first compliance framework agreement at the Group level. This groundbreaking initiative aims to enhance understanding of the relevant laws and regulations across the company’s business units. By doing so, it serves as a safeguard against violations and plays a crucial role in protecting the long-term sustainability of the business. Currently, George is at the helm of a transformative project involving the sale and leaseback of up to 30,000 towers in Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, and Jordan. This initiative represents a significant step towards establishing a jointly owned independent tower company through a cash and share deal. In addition, Georges is also leading the adjacencies carve out in Data Centre and Fintech. Prior to his current role, George served as the Senior Director and Head of Corporate Governance at Ooredoo Group. During his tenure, he spearheaded the development of the Corporate Governance policies and procedures framework. This framework was designed to enable the function to effectively meet its objectives and targets, in alignment with overall risk policies, procedures, and the Group’s strategic direction. George was also actively engaged in board governance, currently serving as the Board Secretary of Ooredoo Myanmar, Ooredoo Algeria and Ooredoo Tunisia. With extensive experience in the legal and M&A fields, George has held significant positions in the industry, including Senior Associate at Baker & McKenzie in Saudi Arabia and Legal Affairs Manager at M1 Group (the Parent Company of Investcom). His contributions extend to the drafting of policy papers and laws, such as Lebanon’s Consumer Protection Law and the Lebanese Trademark Law. George’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of La Sagesse, Lebanon. Furthermore, his commitment to lifelong learning is evident in his completion of a mini MBA in Telecoms, AI Essential for Business from Harvard Business School Data Privacy & Technology from Harvard Business School, Emotional Intelligence and Maturity from Tomorrow’s Architect, AML and Compliance Regulatory from Qatar Chamber of Commerce and in in Intellectual Property Rights from the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva
