Senior UAE Government Relations Lead

Salt; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Salt in Abu Dhabi seeks a seasoned Government Relations leader to steer regulatory engagement across major projects in the UAE. You will lead senior-level government interactions, navigate approvals, and guide strategic regulatory decisions to maintain momentum and compliance.

You will collaborate with project teams, consultants, and internal partners to resolve dependencies, strengthen governance, and drive continuous process improvements in permitting and approvals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in Business, Law, Engineering, or related discipline.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in government relations, permitting, regulatory affairs, or authority engagement within the UAE.
• Strong track record of handling complex regulatory approvals for major projects.
• Deep understanding of UAE regulatory frameworks, local authority processes and government stakeholder engagement.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, stakeholder influence and decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead senior-level engagement with government authorities and regulatory bodies.
• Oversee complex approval pathways and intervene on critical matters affecting timelines or costs.
• Advise senior stakeholders on regulatory developments, risks and actions to maintain momentum and compliance.
• Strengthen governance across permits and approvals with improved accountability and escalation processes.
• Coordinate with project teams, consultants, contractors and internal functions to resolve regulatory dependencies.
• Drive continuous improvement across government relations and permitting through better processes and tools.

Skills

Communication

Negotiation

Stakeholder influence

Decision making

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Law, Engineering, or related discipline

Job description

Salt in Abu Dhabi seeks a seasoned Government Relations leader to steer regulatory engagement across major projects in the UAE. You will lead senior-level government interactions, navigate approvals, and guide strategic regulatory decisions to maintain momentum and compliance.

You will collaborate with project teams, consultants, and internal partners to resolve dependencies, strengthen governance, and drive continuous process improvements in permitting and approvals.