ASAR has been shortlisted for seven awards at the IFLR Middle East Awards 2026, recognising work across Kuwait and Bahrain.
The nominations include three Deal of the Year categories, National Law Firm of the Year in both Kuwait and Bahrain, and individual nominations for Lawyer of the Year.
Deals of the Year
Debt and Equity-Linked Deal of the Year – Kuwait Finance House AT1 Mudaraba Sukuk
ASAR acted as Kuwait law counsel to the Joint Lead Managers on Kuwait Finance House’s AT1 Mudaraba Sukuk. The transaction was notable for its scale and Islamic finance structure, with subscription orders exceeding US$1.7 billion.
Domestic Deal of the Year – FLOOSS Asset-Backed Financing
ASAR advised FLOOSS on the structuring and implementation of an asset-backed credit facility. The transaction represented the first private asset-backed financing structure implemented in Bahrain for a fintech lender, adapting institutional private credit and securitisation concepts to a regulated digital lending platform.
M&A Deal of the Year – ACWA Power / ENGIE Kuwait and Bahrain O&M Companies
ASAR advised ENGIE on the Kuwait and Bahrain aspects of its divestment of interests in power generation and water desalination assets to ACWA Power. The transaction involved strategically important utility assets across both markets and required coordination across multiple jurisdictions, regulators and existing financing arrangements.
Together, the three transactions span Islamic finance, fintech, energy and infrastructure, reflecting the breadth of ASAR’s transactional work and the ability of our teams to navigate complex regulatory and cross-border considerations.
National Law Firm of the Year
- Bahrain
ASAR has been shortlisted for National Law Firm of the Year in both markets.
Lawyer of the Year
- Bahrain – David Walker – Partner, Head of Bahrain Office and Head of Corporate Commercial, Bahrain
- Kuwait – Luis Cunha – Partner, Head of Corporate Commercial, Kuwait
The winners will be announced at the IFLR Middle East Awards 2026 will take place on 8 October 2026 he Address Sky View Hotel in Dubai.
We wish everyone shortlisted across the Middle East the very best of luck at the awards in October.
