Team size: 200

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most?

In the future, various technological advancements will impact the role of in-house legal teams. Cloud technology allows in-house legal teams to run efficiently and connect users together, which for our team will be particularly relevant given the significant country-level initiatives which require the development of cloud-based platforms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, sophisticated technological advancements, such as blockchain will become vital in increasing security, transparency and traceability of data shared among different business networks, especially in contract management.

Implementing such technologies will improve processes and digital analytics, data visualisation and data storytelling. Apart from this, organizations will promote efficiency by shifting technology-related work from lawyers to other legal professionals, and increase automation by leveraging digital technologies, such as unsupervised machine learning.

What is a cause, business related or otherwise, that you care about, and why?

For many years, I have placed a great emphasis on the professional development of our people, especially junior attorneys joining us from law school every year. Through a combination of formal learning opportunities, on-the-job training, career planning, and mentorship, we are ensuring that our people have the tools to further their legal competencies and expertise. I believe this type of investment pays off in the long run, not only for our global law practice, but for Aramco and the country as a whole.

In addition to that, the law department must evolve when it comes to ESG-related issues. Our business is evolving, and with it, societies’ expectations from us are evolving too. As such, we need to make sure that we evolve in tandem, if not at a greater pace.

What can law firms do to improve their service to the legal department?

The most important thing law firms can do for their clients is to establish a repertoire of trust and continue being agile in anticipating the needs and requirements of their clients. We have developed strong ties with select external law firms who have deep knowledge in areas that complement our in-house expertise, going back many years. Those ties were built on solid foundations of cooperation, professionalism, and mutual respect. Law firms that can demonstrate to their clients that they can remain agile and demonstrate true partnership will go a long way in building that trust.