Team size: 25+ 

Mohammed Majid is the group general counsel and a board member of the Dubizzle Group (formerly known as EMPG) and has overall responsibility for the global legal function spread across MENA and Asia. The Dubizzle Group has built and grown the Dubizzle and Bayut businesses in the UAE and MENA and the Zameen business in Pakistan, each of which is amongst the most iconic brands in their respective markets. In 2020, Dubizzle became one of the UAE’s first homegrown unicorns. Mohammed joined Dubizzle in 2020, having spent 15 years in private practice. He retired from the partnership of the top five global law firm, CMS, where he had been a trusted counsel to Dubizzle and several other high-growth companies on market-defining transactions.  

Mohammed has been based in the Middle East since 2011, before which he was based in London as a private equity lawyer. While in private practice, Mohammed was consistently recognised across the leading international legal directories as a leading corporate M&A lawyer.  

Since joining Dubizzle, Mohammed has led the Group’s M&A activities (including the non-legal aspects of such transactions), including acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, minority investments, restructurings, venture capital and investment work across various markets. This culminated in Dubizzle raising USD$ 200m last year. This was an unprecedented and unmatched achievement in the regional technology ecosystem the previous year and set against one of history’s hardest global equity fundraising climates.  

Having overseen an aggressive M&A programme, Mohammed is currently leading the readiness work and analysis to support the broader strategic vision of the Group, including further potential liquidity events. 

How do you balance your responsibilities as a GC with your involvement in dispute resolution and M&A matters? 

Involvement in dispute resolution and M&A are integral to being a general counsel of a global high-growth company like ours, which operates in diverse jurisdictions. My role is to be across current risks and anticipate likely future threats. Through my years in private practice and at Dubizzle, I have hands-on experience with various challenges. Where we need specific subject matter expertise, I leverage premium input  

from the high-quality network of experts I have developed over many years. That value added from a general counsel comes from seeing around the corners and exercising judgment backed by experience. 

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment? 

An inclusive and equitable work environment cannot happen in a fast-paced legal team without conscious leadership efforts around culture. I strive for a flat structure to ensure voices are heard across the team (and that work allocation is managed intelligently and fairly).  

As a global business, we hire the best talent and benefit from the diversity across our workforce. As an example of conscious inclusion and a sense of team, our lawyers play an active role in new lawyers’ hiring and integration process. Ensuring that every person is valued and their individuality is respected is core to my values and consistently reflected across our senior leadership.