Professional Overview
Karim Shiyab is a seasoned legal professional with over 15 years of extensive legal experience across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. He is currently the Co-Founder and Chief Legal Director at Qanooni AI, a Dubai-based legal technology startup established in 2024. Qanooni specializes in developing AI-powered legal solutions designed to simplify and enhance the efficiency of legal professionals by integrating directly with commonly used legal tools. Karim also founded Legalintro, underscoring his entrepreneurial engagement within the legal technology domain.
Karim’s background encompasses a robust combination of legal expertise and technological innovation with a particular emphasis on artificial intelligence applications within legal infrastructure. He identifies professionally as a lawyer with a deep passion for technology and innovation, focusing on making complex legal systems intuitive and user-centered.
Career and Educational Background
Karim holds a law degree from The University of Sheffield and garnered substantive legal experience at Al Tamimi & Company, where he worked in their Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) office. His legal practice covers a diverse array of disciplines, including banking, finance, commercial law, and regulatory compliance, indicating a versatile knowledge base perfectly suited to steering a LegalTech startup.
His transition from traditional legal practice into technology entrepreneurship illustrates an adept understanding of the intersection between legal frameworks and AI-driven innovation. This positions him as a key driver of Qanooni’s mission to revolutionize legal work by embedding AI capabilities to automate and improve legal document drafting and review processes.
Company and Market Position
Qanooni is distinguished as one of the UAE’s pioneering LegalTech platforms, focusing on locally developed AI tools aimed at transforming legal practice in the UAE and expanding into the UK market. The company notably raised US$2 million in a pre-seed funding round in mid-2025, signaling strong investor confidence and substantial growth potential in the regional and international legal technology sectors.
The Qanooni platform integrates directly with the existing workflows of legal professionals, focusing on enhancing productivity without disrupting established systems. This strategic focus highlights the founders’ understanding of market needs and their intent to deliver practical, scalable AI solutions rather than theoretical innovations.
Relevant Achievements & Contributions
- Co-founder of Qanooni AI (2024): Instrumental in launching the UAE’s first locally developed AI-powered legal tool, aimed at making complex legal operations more efficient and accessible.
- Raised $2 million pre-seed funding (June 2025): Played a critical role in securing significant early-stage investment to accelerate product development and international expansion.
- Founder of Legalintro: Demonstrates his commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship in the legal technology ecosystem.
- Legal Expertise Applied to AI: Leveraging over a decade of legal experience to design AI solutions encompassing real-world legal insights, enhancing the usability and relevance of Qanooni’s products.
Public Profile and Presence
Karim maintains a professional LinkedIn profile [here](http://www.linkedin.com/in/karim-shiyab-028664135), which reflects his multifaceted role as a legal expert and technology innovator. His professional narrative emphasizes bridging traditional legal knowledge with cutting-edge AI innovation to modernize legal infrastructures. Media mentions and industry news frequently highlight his critical involvement in Qanooni’s growth and the vision to reshape legal workflows through AI integration.
Strategic Insights
Karim’s dual expertise in law and technology places him at the forefront of the evolving LegalTech landscape in the MENA region. His leadership in developing AI tools tailored for legal professionals indicates a strategic focus on user-centric innovation that aligns with broader market trends emphasizing automation and digital transformation in law firms and corporate legal departments.
The successful pre-seed funding and rapid traction of Qanooni suggest that Karim and his co-founders are effectively addressing tangible pain points in legal service delivery. Karim’s background in banking and regulatory law positions him well to navigate complex compliance requirements, ensuring that Qanooni’s solutions meet the stringent demands of legal markets in both the UAE and the UK.
This profile encapsulates Karim Shiyab’s unique positioning as a legally trained technologist spearheading AI-based transformation in legal services, supported by a strong professional foundation and demonstrable early-stage business success.
