Sara Khoja

Full Profile

Sara joined the Dubai office in January 2008 establishing the employment team. She is experienced in advising multinational clients, government owned entities and, large regional conglomerates on their MEA regional employment issues (particularly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), advising on multi-jurisdictional projects such as large scale restructures and business transformation, implementation of new employment policies and frameworks as well as large corporate reorganisations and integration projects following a merger or acquisition.

Sara advises extensively on Saudisation and other workforce nationalisation initiatives and, regulatory compliance (HSE), including workplace conduct investigations and conflict resolution. Her practice includes advising on employee mobility and operating corporate hubs in the context of MEA wide operations (including secondments into Africa).

Sara’s publications include UAE and KSA chapters for Kluwer International’s Labour and Employment Compliance Handbook and, Corporate Immigration (UAE Chapter). She provides extensive training for managers and HR personnel directly for clients and also through a number of training organisations such as CIPD and JSB.

Sara won Employment Lawyer of the Year at The Legal 500 (Legalease) Middle East and North Africa Awards 2024 as well as being named in the 2024 Thomson Reuters list of Stand Out lawyers. 

Experience

• Advising a global aviation services company on the establishment of a new airline and drafted the executive contract for the new CEO including provisions for short term and long term incentive programs. Drafting consultancy agreements, employment contracts for crew, for other grades of staff and drafting company policies. 
• Advising a leading airline on a settlement with an ex-senior executive and, specifically, complex indemnity cover provided by the client in respect of any acts or omissions by the individual in his capacity as a senior officer of another leading airline. 
• Advising a motor vehicle manufacturing company on a project that entails establishing the employment framework for managing a manufacturing operation in the KSA, ensuring compliance with KSA-labour laws while also maintaining continuous operations 24 hours a day.
• Advising international shipping and yachting companies on the International Labour Organisation's Maritime Labour Convention. Advising a UK Company operating in the Middle East on discrimination issues arising in the workplace (sex, race, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, religion, age and sexual harassment) and law compliance. 
• Advising DHL on the model for employing employees in the UAE and seconding them into various operations in different African locations.   
• Acting as employment counsel for Hexagon PPM for the Middle East region, focusing on the UAE, KSA, Qatar and Bahrain. 
• Advising Big Bus Tours, the world’s largest operator of open-top bus sightseeing, on their acquisition of leading experience operator, Tour Dubai.
• Acting for Shelf Drilling in updating the employments contracts for a variety of categories of staff and their employment handbook for compliance with the new UAE Labour Law which came into force in 2022. 
• Advising Majid Al Futtaim in relation to a global mobility program, involving seconding employees in the UAE, across the Middle East region and beyond.
• Advising healthcare sector employers in MEA on regulatory compliance, drafting employment contracts, relationships with distributors and employee arrangements as well as immigration and employment compliance. 
• Advising employers operating in various sectors, including oil and gas, healthcare, construction, manufacturing, TMT, and insurance on compliance with Saudisation (Nitiqat and other regulations), the function of the HRDF, Qiwa and immigration regulations. 
• Carrying out investigations into employee breaches and misconduct, as well as advising on actioning the conclusions of any investigation including potential reports to the authorities and termination of employment. 
• Providing US based multinational companies in technology and telecommunications industry advice across the GCC on labour law and social security compliance regarding international secondments and temporary work. 
• Advising an international accounting firm on the restructure of its workforce, including introducing reduced hours, sabbaticals, change from full time to part time employment and a reduction in salary and benefits. 
• Advising a free zone authority on the adoption and drafting of employment and sponsorship regulations, including advising on the regulatory set up of the free zone and the interplay between federal and emirate law. 
• Drafting a comprehensive set of company policies for a Government owned entity, the application and voluntary adoption of the Executive Regulations provisions and policies applicable within the Abu Dhabi civil service.