Umbreen Meenai

“Umbreen Meenai is dependable and has high attention to detail. She is very patient and trustworthy and has tremendous potential.”
Chambers Global, Banking & Finance client

Umbreen is a seasoned finance lawyer with over a decade of experience advising banks, financial institutions, private equity houses, corporates and government-related borrowers in relation to both investment grade and leveraged finance, asset finance, project finance, trade finance and real-estate finance transactions, based on conventional and Islamic structures. Umbreen has been based in the UAE for over 10 years, before which she worked for a Magic Circle law firm in London.

Experience

Representative matters

Advised a global energy and commodities company on the first Islamic transaction with voluntary carbon credits as the underlying assets. This financing was a precedent setting and first-of-its-kind transaction in the MENA region with high-quality voluntary carbon offsets at its centre.

Advised HSBC Amanah Malaysia Berhad on the first ever Shari’ah-compliant subscription line facility in the market. The USD 75 million facility was made available to a fully Shari’ah-compliant fund.

Advised the mandated lead arrangers in relation to the USD 200 million real estate financing facility provided to a leading developer of luxury residential properties in Dubai.

Advised a GCC based debt fund in relation to the USD 45 million credit facility provided to the ADGM holding company of a Saudi manufacturer for capex purposes.

Advised a leading international bank in relation to a USD 250 million margin loan facility with respect to the buy-out of the minority shareholders of a UAE listed company.

Advised a prominent GCC private credit provider in relation to the USD 25 million secured financing facility provided to an international SMS buying business with operations in UAE, UK, Cyprus, Seychelles and Lebanon.

Acting as UAE law counsel to Jefferies in its capacity as Placement Agent in connection with a cross-border financing of a US $100 million private placement diamond inventory and receivables asset-backed securitization.

Advised one of the biggest private utility providers in the UAE on a AED 400 million secured financing facility arranged by a syndicate of UAE based banks.

Advised a leading UAE-based bank in relation to a AED 934 million wakala financing provided to a government-owned entity

Advised a leading UAE-based bank on the AED 200 million financing of the acquisition of a real-estate asset by an Omani real estate fund

Advised the Egyptian banks on a back-to-back facility provided by the international lenders on a landmark project finance transaction, for the development and construction of the Assiut Hydrocracking Complex (AHC) in Egypt.

Advised on the DIFC and ADGM insolvency processes in respect of a B2B start-up in the UAE which was backed by major global venture capital funds.

Advised an international debt fund in relation to the secondary acquisition of debt in a UAE manufacturing business.

Advised a prominent UK-based fund on the secondary acquisition of debt in one of the largest conglomerates in the UAE which was in financial distress.

Advised a major Chinese bank in relation to the financing of two A380 aircraft to be leased to an international airline

Advised the mandated lead arrangers in relation to Shari'ah compliant facilities totalling AED 600 million provided to a UAE-based family group, which has interests in the telecommunication, real estate development, construction, manufacturing, engineering services and retail sectors.

Advised a major Dubai-based Islamic bank on a US$20 million murabaha facility provided to a prominent Turkish corporate

Advised a major Dubai-based Islamic bank on the US$960 million murabaha financing provided to a major stakeholder in global stock markets

Advised a major Indian oil company on a US$125 million corporate loan financing provided by a leading Japanese bank

Advised a major UAE-based bank in relation to a Shariah-compliant credit default swap entered into with an international financial institution

Advised a major UAE-based bank on a AED 265 million commodity murabaha facility provided to Marka for the acquisition of Reem al-Bawadi

Advised a prominent UAE-based bank on the AED 1.85 billion refinancing of a UAE-based property developer

Advised a UAE-based family-owned conglomerate on the restructuring of its real-estate financing facilities, totalling approximately AED 1 billion, provided by a prominent Abu Dhabi-based bank

Advised China Machinery Engineering Corporation in relation to the US$1.5 billion financing of the Thar Block II coal mine in Pakistan and two associated 330-megawatt power plants

Recognitions

Ranked as 'Associates to Watch' in Chambers Global for UAE Banking & Finance, 2025
Listed as "Leading Associates" in Legal 500 EMEA for UAE Banking and Finance: Corporate Finance (Including Islamic Lending), 2024-2025