About

It is the ‘diversity and complexity’ of work which most motivates Marouf Shweikeh in his current role. ‘Our bank is on high gears when it comes to new products, which keeps things interesting’. In just two years as the leading Saudi bank’s legal head, Shweikeh has taken substantial steps to streamline its processes and increase efficiency and effectiveness. Sources particularly praise his contribution to risk-management and the significant improvement in litigation success rates, which has correlated. Having previously worked at two leading institutions in Bahrain, this is Shweikeh’s first KSA role. ‘As a newcomer to the Saudi Hollandi Bank and indeed the Saudi market, I would consider the orientation and familiarisation with the local banking customs and judicial system was the most challenging part at the very beginning’, he says. ‘But with the help of my great Saudi colleagues I managed to properly adjust and get a thorough understanding’. When instructing outside counsel, he looks to firms to really understand the market and stay up to date, he says. ‘Banking lawyers should be market savvy. It is always appreciated if law firms would focus more on lawyers’ capacity to meet the ongoing rapid development in the market’.