Delivering pro bono legal services in the Gulf Cooperation Council region

By Ivor McGettigan, Partner, and Ban AbdulQadir, Senior Executive Manager at Al Tamini & Co

It can be said that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is on the right track.

An awareness and appreciation of the cultural context and sensitivities is important to understand; the evolution of pro bono in the region will be a unique journey and not a copy and paste of other models.

Working on pro bono legal initiatives in the GCC region presents unique challenges and opportunities, stemming largely from a developing pro bono culture and the region’s socioeconomic landscape.

Challenges with pro bono legal assistance

• Pro bono practices have not reached the levels seen in the U.S or Europe
  • In countries like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, there is an evolving awareness, but it’s yet to reach the levels seen in the U.S. or Europe. Whilst there are some good pro bono structures in the region for criminal representation, it can be difficult to facilitate the matching of pro bono supply and demand.
• Awareness of pro bono options to some demographics is low
  • There are sections of society – such as low-income expatriate workers – that do benefit from pro bono services. Legal support on employment rights and immigration issues are very important in this area but the awareness of the pro bono options available to this demographic may be low due to various issues including language barriers.
• Less demand for pro bono due to economic factors
  • While many Western legal systems incorporate pro bono work as a pillar of the profession, it is relatively underdeveloped across the GCC. This dynamic is, in part, influenced by economic factors. With many well-funded charities and foundations, and much of the population enjoying a good standard of living, there is generally less demand for pro bono services in the first place. From a cultural perspective, helping society and giving one’s time and money to good causes is considered to be very important, but as part of one’s private life, not necessarily associated with the workplace or Corporate Social Responsibility.