Real Estate.
From landmark developments to portfolio acquisitions — legal counsel for real estate across Europe and the Middle East.
Real estate investment and development across Europe and the Middle East involves legal complexity that goes far beyond conveyancing. A European investor acquiring a commercial portfolio in Dubai must navigate freehold vs leasehold distinctions, RERA regulations, escrow requirements, and the structuring of holding vehicles — while simultaneously managing the financing, tenant due diligence, and tax implications. A Gulf developer entering the French market faces notarial procedures, urbanisme regulations, environmental compliance, and tenant protection laws that have no equivalent in the Gulf.
GSDA Legal Consultants advises developers, institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, REITs, landlords, tenants, and lenders on the full range of real estate legal matters. Our work spans development projects, investment acquisitions and dispositions, commercial and residential leasing, real estate finance, and property litigation. We cover office, retail, industrial, residential, hospitality, and mixed-use assets across France, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and beyond.
Our real estate practice is integrated with our construction, finance, and corporate teams — because the most complex real estate transactions require expertise across all three disciplines. A mixed-use development project, for example, involves land acquisition (real estate), construction contracts (construction law), project finance (banking), and SPV structuring (corporate) — and we provide all of these from a single, coordinated team.
With the Middle East's real estate market evolving rapidly — Saudi Arabia's giga-projects, Dubai's continued growth, and Egypt's new administrative capital — our cross-jurisdictional presence positions us to advise on the most significant real estate opportunities in the region.
Related Services
Industry challenges
Problems We Solve.
Cross-Border Investment Structuring
Designing holding structures that optimise tax efficiency, provide asset protection, and comply with foreign ownership restrictions across multiple real estate jurisdictions.
Development Regulatory Approvals
Navigating planning permissions, building permits, environmental assessments, and zoning requirements that vary between jurisdictions, emirates, and even municipalities.
Tenant Default & Lease Disputes
Managing rent arrears, lease termination, and eviction proceedings in jurisdictions with vastly different tenant protection regimes — from French bail commercial to UAE RERA.
Off-Plan Purchase Risk
Protecting investors in off-plan purchases where developer insolvency, construction delays, or specification changes threaten the value of the investment.
Real Estate Finance Structuring
Arranging conventional and Islamic financing for real estate acquisitions and developments, including security packages that work across civil-law and common-law jurisdictions.
Joint Venture Complexity
Structuring development JVs between European developers and Gulf capital partners with different return expectations, governance requirements, and exit timelines.
Our expertise in real estate.
Investment Acquisitions & Dispositions
Managing buy-side and sell-side real estate transactions, including due diligence, SPA negotiation, title analysis, and completion across multiple jurisdictions.
Development Projects
Advising developers on land acquisition, planning and permitting, construction procurement, and the legal structuring of development projects from inception to completion.
Commercial Leasing
Negotiating office, retail, and industrial leases, including rent review mechanisms, break options, fit-out obligations, and landlord consent requirements.
Real Estate Finance
Structuring mortgage-backed and unsecured financing for real estate acquisitions and developments, including conventional and Sharia-compliant structures.
REIT & Fund Structuring
Advising on the establishment and structuring of real estate investment trusts, real estate funds, and institutional investment vehicles across European and Gulf jurisdictions.
Property Disputes & Litigation
Representing clients in landlord-tenant disputes, construction defect claims, boundary and title disputes, and forced sale proceedings across multiple jurisdictions.
Hospitality & Mixed-Use
Advising on hotel management agreements, branded residence structures, and the legal complexities of mixed-use developments combining residential, commercial, and hospitality elements.
Saudi & UAE Market Entry
Advising international investors on market entry into Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 real estate opportunities and the UAE's evolving freehold, leasehold, and usufruct frameworks.
Frequently asked questions.
Can you help us acquire real estate in the UAE?
We advise on freehold and leasehold acquisitions across all UAE emirates, including title due diligence, RERA compliance, escrow arrangements, and the structuring of holding vehicles for foreign investors.
Do you advise on Saudi real estate opportunities?
We advise international investors on Saudi real estate investments, including NEOM, the Red Sea Project, and other Vision 2030 developments. Our Riyadh office provides on-the-ground support for regulatory approvals and transaction execution.
Can you handle real estate financing?
We advise on conventional and Sharia-compliant real estate financing, including mortgage structuring, project finance for developments, and the security packages required by lenders across European and Gulf jurisdictions.
Do you advise on commercial leasing?
We negotiate commercial leases for office, retail, and industrial premises across France, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, advising on rent structures, break options, fit-out contributions, and the differing tenant protection regimes in each jurisdiction.
What about development project legal support?
We provide end-to-end legal support for development projects — from land acquisition and planning permission through construction procurement, project finance, and unit sales or lease-up.
Do you handle property disputes?
We represent clients in landlord-tenant disputes, construction defect claims, title disputes, and forced sale proceedings across European and Middle Eastern courts and arbitral tribunals.
Can you structure a real estate fund?
We advise on the establishment and structuring of real estate funds and REITs across European and Gulf jurisdictions, including regulatory approvals, investor terms, and fund governance.
Do you advise on mixed-use and hospitality projects?
We advise on the legal structuring of mixed-use developments and hospitality projects, including hotel management agreements, branded residence structures, and the coordination of multiple use classes within a single development.
GSDA structured our entry into the Saudi real estate market — from MISA approval to the first land acquisition — with a level of local knowledge we did not expect from a Paris-based firm.
Head of Real Estate, European Institutional Investor
The GSDA advantage
Why clients choose GSDA for real estate.
Integrated real estate, construction, and finance expertise — essential for complex development projects that span all three disciplines.
Direct experience with Gulf freehold and leasehold frameworks, RERA regulations, and the escrow requirements specific to Middle Eastern real estate markets.
French notarial and conveyancing expertise combined with Gulf market transaction experience in a single practice.
Institutional investor relationships — we advise sovereign wealth funds, REITs, and family offices on portfolio-scale transactions.
On-the-ground presence in the markets where our clients invest — Paris, Dubai, Riyadh, Doha, and Cairo.