Profile
Aarij is Founder and Chief Insights Officer. He is a Toronto-based partner at the international law firm of Gowling WLG as a member of its Entertainment & Sports Law Group. His practice includes a focus on brand protection, advising from planning through event-delivery.
Core Expertise
Mega-event corporate governance, legal & compliance; brand protection/anti-counterfeiting; regulatory and governance frameworks; procurement and tenders; crisis and command-center decision support; stakeholder engagement; legacy and impact programs; behavioural insights enablement.
Selected Experience
- Senior leadership, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Director, Legal & Compliance (event delivery subsidiary); Company Secretary, FIFA Ticketing’s Qatar subsidiary; member, FIFA Qatar management team in Main Operations Center during tournament-time.
- Senior Legal Counsel, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (Qatar): regulatory design, corporate governance, workers’ welfare program advisory, legacy initiatives (CSR, behavioural insights, innovation grants).
- External counsel on winning bid, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022; legal counsel to Doha 2020 Olympic Bid.
- Additional events: FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014, FIFA World Cup Russia 2018, FIFA Club World Cup 2019 & 2020, FIFA Arab Cup 2021.
- Board roles: Pakistan Business Council – Qatar (Director); previously, American School of Doha (Director).
- Partner, Gowling WLG, Entertainment & Sports Law Group (brand protection and event advisory).
Education
- Juris Doctor (JD)Dalhousie University, Schulich School of Law
- Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com)McGill University, Desautels Faculty of Management
- Master Certificate in Human ResourcesCornell University, School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Executive Education
- Regulatory Compliance Law Specialization University of Pennsylvania, Carey Law School
- Introduction to International DevelopmentUniversity of Cambridge
- Making Government Work in Hard Places Princeton University, SPIA
- BE101x Behavioural Economics in Action University of Toronto, Rotman (BEAR Centre).
- Islamic Finance Qualification (IFQ) Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment
Professional Qualifications
- Board of DirectorsAmerican School of Doha
- Board of DirectorsPakistan Business Council-Qatar
- South Asian earthquake relief effortPakistan
- Workers CampsQatar
Honors and Service
- Legal 500 GC Powerlist Middle East (2019, 2022, 2023)
- Pakistan earthquake relief
- workers’ camp initiatives in Qatar
Languages
- English, Urdu
Articles
- Sideline Conversations: The Road to 26 with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Qatar Read More
- A new playbook for Saudi sport: Understanding the Kingdom’s first unified Sports Law Read More
- Sideline Conversations: The Legal Checklist for Public Watch Parties Read More
- Sideline Conversations: Travel to and Between the World Cup Host Countries Read More
- Sideline Conversations: Behind the Draw Read More
- Sideline Conversations: Security, Visas & Fan Mobility Read More
- Sideline Conversations: Sponsors & Exclusivity Rights Read More
- Sideline Conversations: Tickets, Teams & the Tri-nations Read More
- Faster, bolder, better: Navigating the fine line between superiority claims and puffery in Canadian sports advertising Read More
- Gowling WLG in the Gulf: Mega events in the Middle East Read More
- Competition on and off the field: Shaping the future of professional sports in the Middle East Read More
- Hosting a World Cup watch party? Here’s when you risk a legal red card Read More
- Sideline Conversations: Qualification Playoffs, Host City Preparation, and First-time Tournament Debuts Read More