Claudia El Hage

Claudia Fares El Hage is the Managing Partner of al Marri & el Hage Law Office, a full-service law firm headquartered in Doha, Qatar. Under her leadership the firm has been named recipient of the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026 — International Arbitration Law Firm of the Year in Qatar, recognising its strength in the resolution of complex cross-border disputes.

The firm

al Marri & el Hage Law Office describes itself as a diverse collective of specialised legal experts that combines local knowledge with international business experience. The firm is headquartered in Doha and maintains a network with offices in Beirut and Paris, giving it reach across the Middle East and into Europe. Its guiding values centre on ethics, trust and transparency, and a commitment to service excellence and community impact.

While international arbitration and dispute resolution are central to the firm's identity, its practice extends across a wide range of areas. These include litigation, alternative dispute resolution and legal consultancy; construction and real estate development; mergers and acquisitions and public offerings; banking and finance; corporate and commercial law; insurance and reinsurance; and administrative, regulatory and compliance matters. The firm also advises in sectors such as oil and gas, telecommunications, healthcare and education, as well as in criminal and family law. This breadth allows it to support clients whose disputes and transactions cut across multiple areas of law and industry.

Managing Partner

As Managing Partner, Claudia Fares El Hage leads the firm and is recognised by leading legal directories, including Chambers & Partners and Who's Who Legal, for her expertise in construction litigation before the Qatari courts. Construction and infrastructure disputes are among the most technically and commercially demanding matters in the region, frequently involving substantial sums, complex contractual arrangements and multiple parties, and her recognition in this field reflects a practice at the forefront of high-value dispute work in Qatar.

International arbitration in Qatar

Qatar has invested heavily in its infrastructure and economy, and with that development has come a significant volume of commercial and construction disputes. International arbitration has become a favoured mechanism for resolving cross-border disputes in the region, offering parties a neutral forum, procedural flexibility, confidentiality and the ability to enforce awards internationally under the New York Convention, to which Qatar is a party. The country has modernised its legal framework for arbitration, and Doha hosts institutions and facilities dedicated to supporting arbitration and dispute resolution.

For businesses operating in Qatar and the wider Gulf, effective arbitration counsel must combine command of international arbitral procedure with a firm understanding of local law, courts and commercial practice. Construction and infrastructure disputes in particular demand advisers who can manage complex technical evidence, multi-party proceedings and high-value claims, whether the forum is an arbitral tribunal or the national courts. A firm that pairs international experience with deep local knowledge, and that offers the full range of supporting corporate, banking, real estate and regulatory expertise, is well positioned to serve clients in these matters.

The firm's network reaching from Doha to Beirut and Paris is well suited to the cross-border character of modern arbitration, where parties, witnesses, counsel and applicable laws are frequently spread across several countries. Handling such disputes demands not only mastery of arbitral rules and procedure but also the ability to coordinate multi-jurisdictional issues and to move fluidly between the arbitral and court systems when enforcement or interim relief is required. With its combined regional and international footprint and its full-service capabilities, al Marri & el Hage is equipped to manage disputes of significant scale and complexity on behalf of businesses active in Qatar and the Gulf.

Recognition

In naming Claudia El Hage and al Marri & el Hage Law Office International Arbitration Law Firm of the Year in Qatar for 2026, the Corporate INTL Global Awards recognise a firm that brings together local expertise and international reach. With a Managing Partner recognised for construction litigation and a broad, full-service platform, the firm offers clients experienced guidance through the high-value, cross-border disputes that characterise Qatar's dynamic economy.