GC Influencers
Most Influential GCs - United Arab Emirates
Emile Saadi of Apple
Emile Saadi has served as head of legal for the Middle East and Africa at Apple since 2017, prior to which he served as the company’s regional legal counsel for the Middle East.
The multinational tech giant occupies an important position in one of few thriving non-oil industries in the Middle East. Notably, Apple’s latest operating software features an all-Arabic AppStore service.
Saadi is described by market sources as “someone who is very good at opening doors” both in terms of M&A and contentious matters. One interviewee enthused: “He is one of the best problem solvers I’ve worked with.” He is additionally heralded as a “great project manager” and a “champion of diversity.”
Saadi practised as a solicitor at Shoosmiths in London before moving to Dubai in 2011 to join Yahoo! He also worked as an associate at Bird & Bird in Dubai before joining Apple.