Faizal Bhana

Faizal is Managing Director and Head of Middle East, Africa and India at Bedell Cristin, leading the firm’s regional strategy and client offering across its global network from Abu Dhabi. A highly regarded financial services professional with a distinguished legal background, he has spent many years living and working in the Middle East, including in Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where he is now based. 

He is a trusted adviser to sovereign entities, institutions, corporates and family enterprises, supporting them on global structuring, investment and financing strategies. Faizal has also served on government and industry working groups and committees focused on strengthening international business links with the Middle East and Africa, including TheCityUK, the Riyadh Group for British Business in Saudi Arabia and the Saudi British Joint Business Council. 

Faizal is an English-qualified Solicitor and a full STEP member, with specialist expertise in Shariah-compliant structuring. Before joining Bedell Cristin, he led the Middle East, Africa and India strategy and market engagement for a leading global international finance centre. He brings extensive experience advising clients, intermediaries and professional advisers across the Middle East, Africa and Asia on complex, cross-border and multi-jurisdictional structures and solutions. 

The team in Bedell Cristin's Middle East office, led by Faizal, support and advise clients across our key sector focus areas of Private Wealth, Corporate & Investments, Funds & Capital Markets, Banking & Finance and Litigation & Dispute Resolution, all including from a shariah-compliant perspective,  

Faizal is a recognised thought leader and international speaker, regularly contributing to high-level public and private forums across the Middle East, Africa and India. He has also written for regional and national publications and has been featured by leading international and regional media platforms, including the BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, CGTN, Arab News and Gulf News. 

Faizal is also committed to mentoring the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs globally. His mentoring work has included select next-generation members of ultra-high-net-worth families, as well as programmes associated with HRH King Charles’ charities, The Prince’s Trust, Mosaic, and MBA students from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.