VAT & Customs Duty Increases - Implications for Investment into Saudi Arabia

Fernand Rutten

Partner - Indirect Tax Global Trade Advisory Deloitte

Fernand is the Global Leader & Global Trade Advisory Leader within Deloitte and Managing Partner of the Global Trade Advisory service line.Fernand has over 26 years of experience advising multinational companies on trade compliance issues. He has recently relocated to the UAE to lead the Deloiite Middle East Global Trade practice across the GCC region.

Fernand specializes in a variety of customs, excise and global trade issues in companies operating in both the public and private sector. He regularly advises on projects such as business model optimization, automation (customs & excise solutions), compliance, export controls, excise, litigation, valuation, origin, customs classification, data analytics and trade automation/technology

Fernand has more than 26 years of experience in indirect tax, with a strong focus on customs, excises taxes and global trade matters. Before becoming a consultant, he worked as a customs official with the Dutch customs authorities dealt with several global trade matters. Approximately 21 years ago, Fernand became a global trade advisory consultant. He grew his specialization in a variety of global trade advisory matters and built out a specialized group of experts serving clients in both the public and private sectors in business model optimization, automation, compliance, export controls, excises, litigation, valuation, origin, classification, and data analytics. In leading the Belgian global trade advisory service line, Fernand has advised clients on global trade advisory matters in many domains.

Mourad Chatar

Director - Transfer Pricing & Global Trade Deloitte Middle East

Mourad is a Director with 14 years experience advising on transfer pricing matters with specific focus on business restructuring and value chain alignment projects.

Mourad has solid experience in the energy sector i.e. oil & gas as well as power industry.

During his international tax and transfer pricing career he was seconded in a Tier 1 energy and power multinational for 15 months in house project covering transfer pricing policy design, implementation, documentation, project management as well as audit assistance.

Mourad also lead a transformation project of Tier 1 Saudi Chemical company focusing on optimizing their European tax operating model. This included feasibility study, in depth analysis, Bilateral and Unilateral APA negotiations with various tax authorities in Europe.

Mourad is specialized in Value Chain Alignment projects which aim at ensuring the most appropriate tax model is designed in line with business value chain.

His hands-on experience cross Europe and Middle East allows him have insights on different energy markets and their dynamics. 

Reshma Sharma

VAT Senior Manager Deloitte Middle East

Reshma has over 10 years of tax advisory experience. Her clients include large multi-national organisations in the energy and commodity trading, financial services and the telecoms sector. Reshma is part of Deloitte’s Middle East Indirect Tax team and specialises in indirect taxes including VAT and Customs.

She has significant experience in managing international projects and understanding tax issues in other jurisdictions and advising on complex global indirect tax risk reviews.

Before joining Deloitte, in addition to working at another Big Four firm, Reshma has worked with global traders, as the lead indirect tax adviser for their energy and commodities business. Her role focussed on managing indirect tax risks for new business initiatives, tax process risks, requiring a close working relationship with the traders and business decision makers.

She has advised a broad range of global clients on VAT impact of regulatory changes and has liaised with tax authorities to support policy development initiatives in the services sector.

Kursat Osman

Senior Manager, Indirect Tax Deloitte Middle East

Kursat is an AIIT CTA qualified indirect tax Senior Manager based in the Al Khobar office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). He has over thirteen years of professional practice experience in UK and EU indirect tax.

During his career, his portfolios have comprised of a diverse range of clients across a number of industries, including property and construction, charities and education, technology, e-commerce, and international cross border supplies.

To add to his technical credentials he also edited the VAT sections of the Orange Tax guide 2016 & 17.