Rahul is a Partner at Keystone Law Middle East and focuses his practice on infrastructure, power and utilities including renewables, private public partnership and transportation projects. He has advised project developers, lenders, government entities and contractors on some of the well-known utility, petrochemical, metro and airport projects in the Middle East region.
Having worked in the Middle East for over 13 years, Rahul has a wealth of experience especially in Saudi Arabia and is ranked in Chambers Global, Legal 500 and IFLR 1000.
He also has an active interest in various project related disputes, arbitration, telecoms & technology and aviation matters.
Adept at handling project finance matters in connection with the energy and transport sectors
Chambers Global
Broad experience of conventional and Islamic project finance, trade finance, financial restructuring and financial regulatory compliance
Legal 500, EMEA
Expertise
- Energy
- Infrastructure
- Projects
- Aviation
Experience
Representative transactions
- Acted for the lenders in the Shuqaiq 3 Independent Water Project (IWP) in Saudi Arabia.
- Advised well-known international financing companies like American Trade & Finance Company (Atrafin) and Export-Import Bank of the United States (US Ex-Im Bank) for export finance transactions.
- Represented two leading utility companies for the first utility scale PPP renewable projects in Saudi Arabia-namely, the 300 MW ac Sakaka Solar Projects and the 400 MW Dumat Al Jandal Wind Project.
- Advised a well-known Saudi Arabian Group in relation to the estimated SAR 25.5bn Makkah Public Transport Program, Makkah Metro Project Phase I.
- Represented a leading Saudi Arabian group in connection with the approximately SAR 10.5bn King Abdulaziz International Airport development project including the construction contracts of the terminal complex, control tower and supporting facilities for the KAIA development project phase I in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- Advised a renowned EPC Contractor in one of the biggest gas projects in Saudi Arabian history in relation to various contractual issues and variations orders for fractionalisation and gas inlet contract valued at approximately US$2bn.
- Advised a renowned European consortium in connection with their various contractual issues in the GCC Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) funded GCC Grid interconnection project valued at approximately US$1bn.
- Advised sponsors in connection with the project financing arrangements for the development of three cogeneration plants at Abqaiq, Hawiya and Ras Tanura in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for providing 900 MW of power to Saudi Aramco with a total project investment of around US$650m.
- Advising a European aviation company on acquisition of wide body Boeing aircrafts from a Middle Eastern airline.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Rahul is recognised for his “broad experience of conventional and Islamic project finance, trade finance, financial restructuring and financial regulatory compliance” practice (Legal 500, 2019) and recognised for being “adept at handling project finance matters in connection with the energy and transport sectors” (Chambers Global, 2017) and admired for being “transparent and reliable” (Legal 500, 2019) and noted for his ability “to perform in a very challenging and fast-paced business environment” (Legal 500, 2019).
Career
Rahul completed his Master of Laws (with Distinction) in International, Commercial and European Law from the University of Sheffield in 2004, a LLB from Campus Law Center, Delhi University in 2002 and a B.A. Honors from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University in 1999. He qualified as a member of the Bar Council of Delhi (India) in 2002. Prior to joining Keystone Law Middle East in 2020, Rahul worked at the following firms:
- Squire Patton Boggs, Dubai
- Law firm of Hassan Mahassni in association with Dechert LLP (Jeddah)
- Advocate, Supreme Court of India