About

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is the organisation tasked with investing Qatar’s significant sovereign wealth fund, and possesses the ambitious goal of removing Qatar’s reliance on their hydrocarbon reserves for its economic security over the next few decades. Ehab Elsonbaty is QIA’s senior legal counsel and head of governance and government affairs, a role which he is highly suited for given his vast experience operating at the highest levels of the legal profession. During his career, he has worked at a high level in private practice, become senior judge of the court of appeal in Egypt, and was also employed as senior legal advisor to His Royal Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Office Amiri Diwan (Royal Court); his ability to manage projects of the utmost importance and deal with the associated pressures that these bring is therefore not in doubt. Indeed, Elsonbaty maintains that the variety of legal work that his career has afforded him is what he is most fond of when looking back on his career so far. ‘I suppose the idea that during my career I did almost all legal jobs available is something I am very proud of’, he recalls. ‘That, and also the fact that in QIA I contribute to most of the important deals, which is challenging in such a huge organisation’, he continues, going on to say he is ‘very glad to have contributed to many of the important laws and regulation in Qatar for the last eight years’. On dealing with external factors that can affect the fortunes of the organisation, Elsonbaty is clear on his strategy of leaving nothing to chance. ‘Take any new developments to the business and legal world with complete seriousness, and do a comprehensive study on whatever risks are there or may materialise’. He states the QIA legal function’s aim is to ‘never be in a situation where we are shocked by an issue arising that we do not expect’. Overall, he concludes, ‘we understand that we have to remain alive as a market, and even if something is not to our benefit we have to deal with it and move forward’.