How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

Managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises requires a proactive and strategic approach that aligns closely with the broader business objectives of the organisation . The approach taken in that respect generally commence with working on understanding the crisis itself and its potential impact on the business and possibly on the national or international level. One of the main methods used to achieve the foregoing involves staying up to date as to changes in laws and regulations, effective communications with stakeholders and relevant parties, collection of data, extracting analysis and determining legal and business consequences. Upon defining the issues and determining the risks associated therewith, and in order to successfully manage the situation, the next step usually consists of initiating a Crisis Management Plan. It is worth mentioning, that the process of handling periods of instability should not only be considered during or prior to such periods, but also after any relevant situation, as a post-crisis review can effectively support the organisation’s resilience through periods of instability, ensuring that legal considerations enhance rather than hinder business operations.

What are the main transactions that you have been involved in recently?

Infrastructure Development, Wildlife and Archeology Preserveness, and AlUla Film Production .

How have you integrated technology into your legal processes, and what impact has this had on efficiency and compliance?

As part of our continuous endeavors, here at the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), to align with the finest global practices, we have launched an internal legal system referred to as “Legal Gate”. The Legal Gate Platform provides an innovative and agile central software workspace for advanced collaboration between internal and external stakeholders. It further diligently monitors legal activities while adhering to the most stringent governance principles, acting as the central hub for RCU’s legal operations, streamlining processes and enabling efficient access to and archiving of legal services. The system features a live dashboard designed for leading effective and accurate request tracking, acting as a smart administrator of legal matters handled by the Sector. It also hosts the following activities: providing legal advices, reviewing contracts, archiving legal documents and services, and distributing and monitoring assignments. It is worth mentioning that outstanding progress has been noticed in RCU’s legal operations since the official launching of Legal Gate, for instance: development in Legal Services, improvement in workflow between involved members, organisation in handling requests, easy access to required documents and information, ability to utilize data and extracting analysis related to the business, and more. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that the success story behind Legal Gate has encouraged the Legal Sector at RCU to establish a new initiative referred to as: Legal Tech, which aims to explore other AI Solutions and technologies that can be implemented and used within the legal function of the Sector, helping us to achieve further technological advancements.

What role does the legal department play in promoting and ensuring corporate social responsibility in your organisation?

In light of RCU’s attentiveness towards social responsibility, the Legal Sector has directed high efforts in hosting awareness sessions throughout the Commission, involving different aspects of the Sector’s legal function, including: Advisory, Public Policy and the Legal Gate Platform. The Advisory Department has held over half-a-dozen awareness sessions for different sectors, clarifying their mandate and encouraging other sectors to reach out to the Department with legal issues and inquires that they may have, in order to maintain compliance with relevant local and international regulations, standards and practices when handling the Commission’s business and other affairs. The Public Policy Department has exercised similar efforts; spreading awareness regarding RCU’s Public Policy Regulatory Framework, designed to regulate and manage Public Policy affairs throughout the Commission. These sessions have been enlightening to employees, especially considering the support provided by the Department to other Sectors’ goals and objectives. Additionally, referring to one of the Legal Sector’s recent successful initiatives, i.e. Legal Gate, the Legal Team held internal coaching sessions to learn how to use and benefit from the platform. Another social initiative the Legal Sector is very much proud of is the “Legal Journal”; a semi-annual publication exclusively designed for all of RCU employees, dedicated to unraveling the rich tapestry of legal, regulatory, and public policy facets. This Journal marks a pivotal milestone in RCU’s commitment to enhance its knowledge sharing and foster a collaborative learning culture, as it does not only serve as a legal awareness material for members of the Commission, but further stands as a vibrant gateway fostering deeper collaboration and understanding between the Legal Sector and other stakeholders.