ASAR - Al Ruwayeh & Partners

PPP & PFI Projects; Data Protection & Privacy; Government Procurement; Healthcare & Life Sciences; Media, Communication & Technology; Agency & Distributorship; Employment; Insurance; Construction

Partner

Akusa is a corporate and commercial law partner based in Kuwait and has been with the firm since 2008. Prior to joining ASAR, Akusa worked as in-house legal counsel with an international telecommunications company operating in Uganda.

Akusa has extensive experience in corporate and commercial law matters including the representation of local and foreign clients in employment, insurance, construction and agency/distributorship related matters. Akusa has also been extensively involved in some of the most prominent and groundbreaking PPP projects in Kuwait, in which she has been involved in advising the government of the State of Kuwait, sponsor consortiums and lenders.

Professional Experience

Az Zour North Phase 1 – Independent Water and Power Producer (IWPP) Project Project: Akusa played an integral role as part of the ASAR team in providing transaction advisory services to the Kuwaiti government for the groundbreaking Az Zour North Phase 1 IWPP PPP Project. This pioneering power and water desalination plant, now fully operational, boasts a capacity to generate 1,500 megawatts (MW) of electricity and produce 102 million gallons of water daily. Achieving financial close in December 2013 with robust participation from both public and private stakeholders, the Al-Zour North Phase 1 IWPP stands as a testament to the effectiveness of Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) and the Ministry of Electricity and Water in implementing projects under Kuwait’s IWPP PPP Law.

Umm Al Hayman Wastewater PPP Project: Akusa was part of the ASAR team that acted as Kuwaiti legal counsel to the consortium comprised of WTE Wassertechnik GmbH (WTE) and International Financial Advisors Holding KSCP (the Consortium) who were awarded the Umm Al Hayman Wastewater Treatment Plant Project, one of the world’s largest and most complex water treatment projects with construction costs of approximately USD1.8-billion (excluding financing and operating costs), developed pursuant to Kuwait’s PPP Law under the auspices of the Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects and the Ministry of Public Works. The Project’s financial close occurred on 29 July 2020.

Extension of the Sulaibiya Wastewater Treatment Plant Project: As part of the ASAR team, legal counsel was provided by Akusa to the lenders syndicate led by National Bank of Kuwait for the extension of credit facilities to the Project Company (UDC) for the extension of the Sulaibiya wastewater BOT project. The facilities comprised two tranches, Islamic and conventional. Under an agreement between the Ministry of Public Works, UDC (the project company), and its lenders, the Sulaibiya Plant is set to become the world’s largest-of-its-kind facility. This expansion aims to increase the plant's production capacity from 375,000 to 600,000 cubic meters per day, establishing it as the world’s largest membrane-based wastewater treatment facility.

The new National Bank of Kuwait’s award-winning headquarters building: Akusa provided advisory services to NBK, a prominent Kuwaiti bank, on construction contracts pertaining to its groundbreaking, environmentally friendly, headquarters building in Kuwait City. Soaring 300 meters tall with 61 floors above ground and a total floor area of 127,000 square meters, the  state-of-the-art building has garnered prestigious awards and stands as a testament to modern architectural innovation.

English

Member of the International Bar Association, 2009 Called to the Bar in Uganda, 2003 Called to the Bar of England and Wales, 2001 Member of the Honorable Society of the Lincolns Inn, 2001

Masters of Law in Information Technology and Telecommunications Law (LLM), University of Strathclyde, Scotland, United Kingdom, 2006 Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Law Development Centre Kampala, Uganda, 2002 Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (Bar Vocational Course), Nottingham Law School, England, United Kingdom, 2001 Bachelor of Laws (with Honors) LLB, University of Leeds, England, United Kingdom, 2000