Pinsent Masons Opens Office In Saudi Arabia
This is Pinsent’s fourth office in the region after Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha;
Pinsent Masons Opens Office In Saudi Arabia
This is Pinsent’s fourth office in the region after Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha
Pinsent Masons has opened yet another office in the Middle East, this time in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
This is Pinsent’s fourth office in the region after Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. Leading it will be project finance and construction specialist Ibrahim Alajaji who was partner at former local ally Alsabhan & Alajaji.
Pinsent said that going forward, the two firms will conduct operations independently but continue their association through a planned alliance. Under the leadership of Naif Alsabhan, its remaining partner, Alsabhan & Alajaji will focus on legislation drafting and local courts.
The new office highlights Pinsent’s dedication to the Middle East and will help the law firm benefit from the Saudi government’s ‘Vision 2030’ project, intended to reduce the Saudi Arabian economy’s dependence on oil.
Catherine Workman, Partner and head of the Middle East at Pinsent, reportedly said, “The Vision 2030 program is creating new opportunities for domestic and international investors, while also transforming the kingdom’s legal and regulatory landscape. We welcome Ibrahim Alajaji and his team. We also look forward to continuing our collaboration with Naif Alsabhan, without whom this exciting development would not have been possible.”
Ibrahim Alajaji will specialize in corporate law, M&A, joint ventures, real estate and construction, and labour law alongside his management duties. He also brings to the table experience in real estate litigation and corporate.
Alajaji reportedly said: “Our collaboration has allowed us to deliver top-tier legal services in Saudi Arabia, and this new structure strengthens our ability to do so. It positions our transactional team to provide greater value in the Saudi market while supporting the country’s economic transformation. The move presents opportunities for Saudi legal talent. Young professionals will gain exposure to high-value transactions and complex legal matters within an international law firm. Through a structured training program, they will develop expertise in navigating Saudi Arabia’s evolving legal and regulatory landscape.”
Ever since Saudi Arabia changed its code of law practice in 2023 to allow foreign firms to set up their own practice in the kingdom without the limitations of a local partner, several leading US and UK law firms have opened offices here or applied to do so. However, the rider is that 70% of the foreign firm’s lawyers must be Saudi nationals.
