Contacts

Our Hospitality practice group is led by Faisal Daudpota, the Senior Partner of our firm. He can be reached at faisal@daudpota.com

 

Overview

Our firm has extensive experience with the complete range of issues pertaining to hospitality industry.

We have coordinated consultation and securing of licenses and permits for hotels operators, restaurants operators, and travel agents on compliance issues for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia hospitality market is poised to grow significantly in this decade. This is because of various factors, including robust laws pertaining to promotion of tourism, increasing government support, ensuring safety, strategic location and amazing warm weather.

Daudpota International understands that the decision to set-up or license a hotel or restaurant concept is often taken lightly despite the fact that usually significant investment and risk are involved. We have experience in relevant business segments, compliance issues, and transactions.

 

Recent Representative Cases and Transactions

- Advised Hilton Hotels Worldwide as to its franchisee transaction in Saudi Arabia

- Advised Ramada by Wyndham as to its franchisee transaction in Pakistan

- Advised Como Hotels and Resorts as to its intellectual property matters in the UAE

- Advised the largest alcoholic beverages distributor in the Middle East as to its intellectual property matters

- Advised many restaurant companies from USA, Canada, UK, France, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, etc., as to their franchisee transactions in a number of countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Iraq, Pakistan, and Bangladesh

 

Our Services

We assist clients as to transactions and cases involving:

- Advising on Management Contracts, Franchise Contracts, Conference Services Contracts

- Advising on Tourism and Hospitality Regulations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia

- Advising on Insurance matters, and Customer Safety matters

- Advising on Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality Issues

- Advising on Taxes and Foreign Exchange Issues

- Advising on Regulatory Compliance and Competition Laws, and Intellectual Property Laws

- Representing in and coordination of Litigation and Arbitration as to negligence claims

- Advising on Appointment letters and employment contracts, and Termination of employees

- Advising on employee policies, and codes of conduct

- Advising on Data protection, privacy, and employee monitoring in workplace

 

Memberships

Our lawyers are members to the following prestigious organizations pertaining to Hospitality:

- International Franchise Association (IFA)

- American Bar Association (ABA), Forum on Franchising

- Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys (AHIA)

 

Our Publications

2019 November – Hospitality
Saudi Arabia: An Overview of its Commercial Franchise Law
(by Faisal Daudpota), Social Sciences Review Network (SSRN)

Ebook: “Competition Law in Saudi Arabia” [Kindle Edition], available on Amazon online book-store.