Partner in Charge of Gibson Dunn's Riyadh office.

Megren Al-Shaalan is a legal advisor specializing in public law, public policy, and regulatory reform, with extensive experience in shaping the Kingdom’s legislative and institutional landscape. His practice spans legislative and regulatory matters, special economic zones, Royal Reserves, and strategic government initiatives that support the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

He also advises government entities, sovereign institutions, and leading domestic and international companies on corporate and M&A transactions, capital markets, commercial disputes, and other complex cross-border matters. Throughout his career, he has led the drafting of landmark legislation, structured multi-billion-dollar strategic projects, and advised on the reform and restructuring of key sectors across the Kingdom.

In addition to leading Gibson Dunn’s Riyadh office, Megren serves as Chairman of the Regulations Committee at the Royal Commission for AlUla and as a Board Member of the General Authority for Competition and Imam Faisal Bin Turki Royal Reserve Development Authority. 

previously, he served as Board Member of the Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve Development Authority and Imam Abdulaziz Bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Megren founded and led the Law Office of Megren M. Al-Shaalan, which operated in association with White & Case LLP, where he advised on many of the Kingdom’s most significant public sector, corporate, finance, and infrastructure matters.

Earlier in his career, he served as Senior Legal Advisor at the Royal Court and Secretary-General of the National Legislative Reform Committee at the Royal Court, where he contributed to advancing the Kingdom’s legislative reform agenda and the implementation of major Saudi Vision 2030 initiatives.

He began his legal career at Latham & Watkins LLP, advising on cross-border corporate, finance, and capital markets transactions across the region.

Major Transaction Experiences:

• Advising Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) on its SAR 96.0 billion/US$25.6 billion IPO, the largest IPO in history at the time. The offering (excluding the over-allotment option) comprised three billion shares, representing 1.5 percent of Saudi Aramco's share capital, for gross proceeds of SAR 96.0 billion/US$25.6 billion.
• Advising Expo 2030 Riyadh Company on the joint venture with a developer partner and the development of the Expo Staff Village (a large-scale mixed-use real estate project).
• Advising the Royal Commission of Riyadh City in connection with the drafting and negotiation of the Host (SEE) Agreement for EXPO 2030.
• Advising the Royal Commission of Riyadh City in connection with the regulatory framework for setting up King Abdullah Financial District as a financial zone.
• Advising NEOM in connection with establishing NEOM as a Special Zone and the preparation of the constitutive documents relating thereto, and advising on the legislative and regulatory framework for the Special Zone.
• Advising The Red Sea Global in connection with the regulatory structure for a new special zone in the Kingdom and the regulatory enablers required for the Red Sea project.
• Advising the Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority in drafting the various sectoral and cross-sectoral legislations in relation to SEZs in the Kingdom.
• Advising the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in connection with its legislative reform project in light of the National Industrial Strategy.
• Advising the Ministry of Tourism on drafting the new Tourism Law in the Kingdom.

He has been recognized as Band 1 for: Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs by Chambers Global. 

He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) (2011) and a Bachelor of Public Administration (2010) from Michigan State University, United States.