The defense industry deals in sensitive, complex and high-value products that are vital to national security across global markets. The industry sits at the interface of business and government.

Much of what defense contractors do, including research and development, is often publicly funded and subject to rigorous regulatory controls. Many governments require defense contractor personnel to undergo security clearances at the secret or top-secret level before being cleared to staff particular projects. In many cases, export controls restrict the types of military technology that may be sold to third parties or intellectual property that may be transferred to foreign governments. Many companies choose Dentons to guide them through the web of legal complexities that they must navigate when defense contracting in the Middle East.

Succeeding in this environment requires a legal partner with a proven track record. Dentons has advised on a wide variety of defense matters across the Middle East, ranging from business establishment to procurement, operations, commercial contracts, employment, offset and other regulatory matters.

Dentons has extensive experience advising on international humanitarian law (the law of armed conflict), anti-bribery and corruption, export controls, sanctions, business and human rights, government contracting, public procurement, public-private partnerships, international criminal law and military justice, all areas of importance to the defense sector. Dentons has advised multinational companies, NGOs, governments, the UN and other international organizations on international human rights law, the law of armed conflict and transitional justice in conflict and post-conflict countries.

Thank you to all the contributors who made this project a success, including Dentons lawyers in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait and Egypt and our partners in Iraq and at Deloitte, who contributed to the tax chapter. Special thanks to Nick Simpson (Dentons-Dubai/Riyadh), Muhammad Abdelnasser (Dentons-Riyadh), Saif Al-Sarayrah (Dentons-Amman), Michael Camburn (Deloitte), Elias R. Chedid (Chedid Law Offices in association with Dentons, Lebanon), Dorina Drowniak (Dentons-Doha), Farhan Farouk (Deloitte), Jamie Gibson (Dentons-Muscat), Catherine Gilfedder (Dentons-London, Business & Human Rights), Sara Holzschuh (Dentons-Kansas City, anti-bribery and corruption), Craig Hughson (Dentons-Dubai), Jorge Restrepo (New Frontiers Business Consulting, Iraq), Mary Ann Sharp (Dentons-Doha/Kuwait) and John Balouziyeh Dentons-Riyadh).

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