Charles Hallab

Charles Salem Hallab is the President & CEO of the U.S.-Saudi Business Council, a bilateral NGO at the forefront of U.S.-Saudi Arabia business, trade, and investment relations. He holds a Juris Doctor and M.B.A. from Georgetown University and has represented stakeholders on major international transactions between the U.S. and Middle East for more than 25 years.

Hallab is the founder of Barrington Global, an international legal and strategic advisory firm focused on the intersection of law, business, and policy between the Middle East and the West. He has led key practices at Baker McKenzie and Mayer Brown, including Middle East, Corporate & Securities, Joint Venture & Strategic Alliance, and Climate Change & Sustainability Transactions. He has been named a BTI Client Service All-Star multiple times (2013, 2016, 2019, 2020) and is widely recognized for his ability to work across cultures, politics and personalities.

Career history

• Chair, Middle East Practice and International Joint Venture Practice at Mayer Brown (global law firm)
• Founder and Principal, Barrington Global (international legal and strategic advisory firm)
• Multiple leadership roles at international law firm Baker McKenzie, including Corporate & Securities and Joint Venture practices
• Long-standing Board Member, U.S.-Saudi Business Council (prior to appointment as President & CEO in September 2024)

What Hallab could bring to U.S.-Saudi Business Council: Drawing from his 25+ years advising on high-value cross-border transactions between the U.S. and Middle East, plus his deep expertise in Middle East practice leadership at two global law firms, Hallab brings institutional knowledge of complex bilateral deal-making and government relations. His track record managing 200+ acquisitions and joint ventures positions him to accelerate the Council's mission of facilitating trade and investment partnerships during a critical phase of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 diversification strategy. His multilingual, cross-cultural fluency and reputation as a problem-solver among both American and Saudi business leaders should strengthen the organization's convening power at the executive level.