Legal Advisors, Abdulaziz I. Al-Ajlan & Partners in association with Baker & McKenzie Limited is a market leader in the field. The firm has a strong client base of both domestic and international clients, often assisting the Saudi Arabian government with projects, including providing counsel on infrastructure development and law drafting. Karim Nassar, who primarily focuses on M&A, and Zahi Younes, who assists large private companies with reorganising their entities and general corporate advice, head the practice. At the associate level, Tamim AlKhudhayri is an key figure to note.

AS&H Clifford Chance is one of the go-to firms for complex and innovative transactions within Saudi Arabia. The sizeable team is led by Majid Al-Sheikh, who is closely supported by Mansoor Alhagbani, the head of the capital markets and regulatory practice. Both Al-Sheikh and Alhagbani are key contacts for the firm’s major Saudi clients, including the Public Investment Fund, the Saudi Stock Exchange, and the Saudi National Bank.

Clyde & Co LLP is well known for its corporate and commercial advice for large domestic and international clients, including those operating in the insurance, hotel and construction sectors. The team is led by Abdulaziz Al Bosaily, who specialises in Islamic finance structures and project finance deals with petrochemical companies and banks. Additionally, Alain Sfeir is a key point of contact for corporate advisory. Finally, senior associate Shahd Makhafah is a key player at the associate level. Since publication, Rizwan Osman left the firm.

Khoshaim & Associates has a strong focus on M&A in a wide range of sectors, including energy, technology, and healthcare. The firm has an impressive client list, including Saudi Arabia’s largest state-owned enterprises and private companies. Notably, the firm acts for Saudi Aramco, the Public Investment Fund, and the NEOM megaproject. The practice is headed by Zeyad Khoshaim, who advises corporate multinationals on raising funds, structuring, and M&A, and Basma Khashoggi, who has strength in transactions in the healthcare industry. Since publication, Leen Zaza left the firm.

King & Spalding has a thriving corporate, finance, and investments practice in Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region. The firm is well regarded in the market for its work concerning commercial contracts. Nabil Issa spearheads the practice; he specialises in advising on innovative funds and investment structures for real estate and private equity investments in Saudi Arabia.  James Stull often advises on corporate transactions, including issuance of share capital, business combination agreements, and preparing relevant documents to the Capital Market Authority. Both individuals are based in Dubai.

Law Office of Mohanned bin Saud Al-Rasheed in association with Baker Botts L.L.P. has strong capabilities across the entire spectrum of corporate and transactional matters. Shadi Haroon has expertise advising overseas investors on their expansion into Saudi Arabia, particularly with regard to corporate, transactional, and regulatory matters. Omar Iqbal assists various international clients with the establishment of their regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia. Haitham Hawashin provides is noted for domestic and cross-border M&A transactions and Rakan Alyusuf provides support on high-value commercial and corporate matters.

Latham & Watkins LLC is a go-to for Saudi Arabian state-owned enterprises and government entities. The team is headed by Ahmed El Gaili, who often acts on high-value acquisitions both in Saudi Arabia and across other Middle Eastern jurisdictions. He is supported by Salman Al-Sudairi, who is an expert in general corporate matters and large corporate transactions. Noor Al-Fawzan left the firm. Leen Zaza was a new arrival in August 2024.

A&O Shearman's team regularly acts on complex corporate and M&A transactions in Saudi Arabia. The firm’s client list is impressive, including the NEOM Company and large multinational corporations active in sectors including finance, chemical and defence. Sultan Almasoud and Mohsin Suleman lead the practice. Almasoud focuses on M&A, he recently advised NEOM on a joint venture for a green hydrogen and green ammonia production facility.

Al Tamimi & Company's recent stand out work includes advising a consortium led by Blackrock on a 49% shareholding acquisition in the Aramco Gas Pipeline Company. Hesham Al-Homoud  leads the corporate structuring practice and has considerable experience in PPP and PSP projects. Another key name to note is Grahame Nelson, who is an expert in Saudi Arabian regulatory issues, particularly concerning M&A and competition law.

Derayah LLPC – Saudilegal focuses on advising overseas clients on conducting business in Saudi Arabia. Key individuals include Andreas Haberbeck, who combines his transactional advice with his disputes workload; Ali Abedi, who also handles asset and project finance; Asad Abedi, who is a specialist in securities law and acquisitions; and Dana Halwani, who provides additional expertise in capital markets and corporate law.

Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni acts for various parties on transactions including buyers, sellers and financial intermediaries and has notable strength in the pharmaceutical sector. The team is led by Faisal Linjawy, who focuses on corporate restructuring, M&A, and project financing, and AbdulMoeen Arnous, who has extensive experience acting for contractors, manufacturers and petrochemical companies.

White & Case has a strong presence in both Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East, including offices in Egypt, Oman, Qatar, and UAE. This allows the firm to assist clients with complex, multi-jurisdictional challenges, including outbound investment to the Middle East or inbound investment to Saudi Arabia. The firm acts for private and national clients, notably, Saudi Aramco and the Public Investment Fund. Leading the practice are Sami Al-Louzi, who advises clients on cross-border M&A and privatisations; Marcus Booth, who assists large financial institutions including funds and banks with M&A transactions globally; and Sonia Abdul-Rahman, who has extensive experience of the oil and gas and renewable energy sectors.

With offices in Riyadh and Al Khobar, Alshahrani Almansour (in collaboration with DLA Piper) has a solid on-the-ground presence in Saudi Arabia. The team advises on the full spectrum of corporate matters, including M&A, divestments, restructurings, and joint ventures. The team is particularly notable for its strong credentials acting for clients in technology industries. Will Seivewright, who focuses on M&A in the UAE and wider Middle East, and Tim Sunar, who advises domestic and international companies on cross-border M&A and corporate finance, are the practice heads.

BLK Partners acts for local and foreign entities and advises on M&A, corporate structuring, and other related matters. The practice is headed by Mohamed Ben Laden, who has considerable experience of advising on transactions with a cross-border element, and Ziad Elkhoury, who specialises in corporate and financial matters with an emphasis on the telecoms, banking, and financial sectors.

Hourani & Partners has three offices in Saudi Arabia – in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Khobar. The team advises regional and international clients on acquisitions in a variety of sectors, ranging from finance to healthcare and energy. Additionally, the firm has strengthened its antitrust work, handling a considerable number of merger filings with the General Authority on Competition. The practice is led by Chadi Hourani, Hayel Hourani, and Salim Sader.

The Law Firm of Wael A. Alissa in association with Dentons stands out for its strong capacity and international network, which allows the practice to work on large cross-border investment and acquisition projects. Nick Simpson leads the team from Riyadh and is the firm’s key contact for large government and private clients, including the Ministry of Investment. Ziad Saad is highly regarded for assisting clients with pursuing licensing agreements and conducting issuance of shares.

Zamakhchary & Co has a strong presence in the Saudi Arabian corporate and commercial market. Clients include domestic and international heavywights. The team is headed by Martin Creek, who is a key name for M&A and joint ventures, and Jawahir Alsubaie, who joined the firm in March 2023 from an in-house position and has extensive experience of advising government clients on project development and strategic partnerships.

AlDhabaan & Partners in association with Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP acts for a client base of domestic and international clients. In October 2023, Walid Salib joined from The Law Firm of Salah Al-Hejailan in association with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer as the head of M&A. Salib has notable experience advising on joint ventures for leading multinational companies. Abdulatif AlHerish is another key figure to note.

The Linklaters corporate team opened its Riyadh office in May 2023. Waleed Rasromani leads the practice with strong experience in advising on the sale-and-leaseback of large telecoms portfolios and digital infrastructure. Amro Bakhaidar is also noted. Scott Campbell and Nicholas Edwards support the team from the firm's Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices, respectively.