Mumbai: Mumbai-headquartered strategic advisory firm Stratfield Partners has announced its expansion into the Gulf region with the appointment of Suhail Shaikh as Partner for the GCC, marking the company’s first international expansion and establishing its advisory presence across Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, and wider Gulf markets.
Based in Saudi Arabia, Shaikh will lead the firm’s regional engagements across government and enterprise institutions, with a focus on strategy, partnerships, stakeholder engagement, public affairs, and government relations. The move comes at a time when governments, sovereign-linked entities, and large corporates across the Gulf are increasingly seeking integrated and senior-led strategic advisory services.
Stratfield Partners specialises in strategic communications, public affairs, and government relations, and has been steadily expanding its advisory capabilities across sectors. The firm has previously worked on assignments including supporting the Government of Maharashtra’s media and communications programme at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos 2026. Its practice areas also include geopolitical and strategic risk advisory, regulatory standards and certification advisory, federal and state incentive advisory, and crisis and issues management.
Suhail Shaikh brings more than two decades of experience advising government and enterprise institutions across the GCC region. Over the years, he has worked extensively in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE, building relationships across policy and corporate ecosystems.
Commenting on the appointment, Muneeb Ansari, Founding Partner, Stratfield Partners, said, “I am delighted to welcome Suhail Shaikh to Stratfield Partners as our Partner for the Gulf Region. Building a serious advisory presence in the Gulf has been a priority for us, and Suhail is exactly the kind of partner you want leading that effort. Two decades across Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE. Relationships that matter.”
Speaking about joining the firm, Suhail Shaikh, Partner, Gulf Region, Stratfield Partners, said, “The Gulf has always been a market where relationships and credibility open more doors than credentials alone. Having spent two decades building both across Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE, joining Stratfield Partners feels like a natural next step. The firm’s model, senior-led, outcome-focused, and genuinely independent, is exactly what sophisticated clients in this region are looking for. I am looking forward to building something meaningful here.”
The expansion also positions Stratfield Partners to tap into the growing strategic and economic engagement between India and the GCC. The corridor has witnessed sustained investments from Gulf sovereign wealth funds into Indian infrastructure, energy, and digital economy sectors, alongside increasing interest from Indian companies in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 programme and the UAE’s economic diversification initiatives.
