Emily Aryeetey

Emily Aryeetey is a leading employment lawyer in Dubai, specialising in UAE labour law and complex cross-border employment issues across the Middle East and Africa. She helps employers navigate every stage of the employment relationship - from international hiring and executive exits to workplace investigations, redundancy processes, and employment disputes under the UAE Labour Law or in the courts of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).

Employers, HR leaders, and in-house counsel frequently turn to Emily for expert advice on HR compliance, policy and handbook development, employment litigation, and the employment aspects of M&A, and employment data protection matters. Recognised for her ability to cut through complexity with pragmatic, commercially relevant guidance, she regularly coordinates multi-country employment law projects across the GCC and EMEA, including in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Egypt, and South Africa.

• Conduct of DIFC Courts employment dispute

  Led a successful appeal in the DIFC Court, overturning a wrongful dismissal ruling and clarifying employers’ rights on summary termination.

• M&A employment due diligence

  Oversaw UAE Labour Law (Abu Dhabi) focused employment due diligence on US$34.7 million acquisition of majority stake in Singapore-based Ascent Fund Services involving 6 jurisdictions.

• Legal guidance on internal investigation

  Supported a global life sciences company through the investigation of a suspected employee fraud, including the engagement of forensic IT experts, document review and analysis and managing regulatory and criminal reporting obligations.