Legal Advisors, Abdulaziz I. Al-Ajlan & Partners in association with Baker & McKenzie Limited draws upon the firm’s global presence to advise on a range of international and domestic real estate and construction projects. Bilal Ambikapathy and Gavin Witcombe lead the real estate and construction departments respectively, with the former advising developers, investment funds and Islamic banks on large-scale projects. The team continues to handle a high volume of tourism-related work, with a key focus on hotel projects. Senior associate Salman Abdullah supports the team, splitting his time between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Real estate and construction in Saudi Arabia
Legal Advisors, Abdulaziz I. Al-Ajlan & Partners in association with Baker & McKenzie Limited
Practice head(s):
Bilal Ambikapathy; Gavin Witcombe
Other key lawyers:
Salman Abdullah
Key clients
Alinma Investment Company
ROSHN
Rua Al Madinah Holding Company
Arcapita
Apple Inc
MiSK City Company
State Property General Authority
Thakher Development Company
Sela Sport Company
Sidra Capital
Maad International Company
Mohammed I. Alsubeaei & Sons Investment Company (MASIC)
Sulaiman Abdulaziz Al Rajhi Real Estate Investment Company
HSBC Saudi Arabia
Royal Commission for AlUla
Boutique Collection Company
Diriyah Gate Development Authority
Olayan Financing Company
Saudi Binladin Group Limited
Saudi Railway Company (SAR)
Majid Al Futtaim Properties
King & Spalding LLP
King & Spalding in Affiliation With the Law Office of Mohammad Al-Ammar stands out in the real estate and construction market for its strength in advising prominent regional and international developers on the entire lifecycle of a project. Contentious and non-contentious mandates are prominent in the group’s workload. Dubai-based Moustafa Said is a key member, with particular experience advising hotel owners and operators. Construction specialist Tim Burbury leads the non-contentious side, supported by associates James Clark and Sam Muir. Patrick McPherson is the go-to regarding contentious matters, focusing on high value construction disputes throughout the GCC. Sayf Shuqair is another key contact. In December 2022 Randall Walker left the firm.
Practice head(s):
Moustafa Said; Tim Burbury; Patrick McPherson
Other key lawyers:
James Clark; Sam Muir; Saif Shuqair
Testimonials
‘The team at King and Spalding is quite simply excellent for Giga projects in the KSA. Led by the tireless Tim Burbury, the team of lawyers that he has deployed directly and manages indirectly foresee our issues and head them off at the pass.’
‘K&S stand out from the crowd with their desire to understand a client’s issues and provide effective and speedy resolutions. They are one of the strongest teams technically with a breadth of experience to draw upon.’
‘Tim Burbury runs his team in a way that just works, without any issues or problems, the team is always available. He is a great counsellor providing direct legal advice and sometimes more strategic considerations.’
‘James Clark, who if I could I would take tomorrow! He lives and breathes a project, he knows the pain points, where the resources run thin and steps in to help and achieves great results. He provides sage and commercially reasonable advice across a broad spectrum of construction infrastructure and project finance matters.’
‘Sam Muir is an associate who is heavily invested in a project and is an excellent lawyer to have supporting your team. Tim is to be congratulated on putting together such a strong team.’
Key clients
Knowledge Economic City
NEOM
Oxagon
ENOWA
Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company
Electricity de France (EDF)
Mubadala Investment Company
Miral
Misk Foundation
Capitol 4 Limited
MyClinic
Riyad Capital (Riyadh)
Al Rajhi Capital
Midad
Capitol 5 Limited
Diyaar Al Salheya
Seven Tides
Roshn Real Estate
Arcapita
Riyad Capital
Riyad Bank
Al Rajhi Capital
Midad
Ashmore Investment
Al Habib Investment Group
Sharjah Media City (SHAMS)
Mulkiya Capital
Al Tamimi & Company
Al Tamimi & Company is home to a full-service real estate practice, and offers a dedicated regional hotels and leisure team throughout Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. As well as being generally commercially minded, the team is noted for its specialist knowledge in areas such as hospitality, legislative drafting and social infrastructure. Andrew Thomson heads the firm’s real estate practice and splits his time between Dubai and Riyadh. Andrew Symms supports the team from Doha.
Practice head(s):
Andrew Thomson; Andrew Symms
Key clients
Roshn Real Estate Company
King Abdullah Financial District
Bin Laden International Holding Group
Knowledge Economic City
Uptown Jeddah Company
Saudi Downtown Company
International Company of Water and Power Projects (ACWA Power)
Riyadh Capital
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
Waqef Suleiman Al Rajihi
Abdulkader Al Muhaidib and Sons
Rafal Real Estate Development Company
Lafana Holding Company
Banque Misr (Egypt National Bank)
Heatherwick Studio
Wison Contracting
Work highlights
- Advised International Maritime Industries as developer of the largest shipyard in the region.
- Advising Heatherwick Studio on multiple high-profile projects throughout KSA.
The Law Office of Megren M. Al-Shaalan in cooperation with White & Case
The Law Office of Megren M. Al-Shaalan in cooperation with White & Case fields a strong construction practice in the KSA. The team is led by Abu Dhabi-based Adam Pierson, who advises prominent regional companies, for example Aramco, on some of the biggest social infrastructure developments throughout the region. Ibaad Hakim and Louise Vun are key contacts in Dubai.
Practice head(s):
Adam Pierson
Other key lawyers:
Ibaad Hakim; Louise Vun
Clyde & Co LLP
Clyde & Co LLP‘s practice advises on the full gamut of real estate and construction matters, spanning land construction and corporate structuring to hospitality development and dispute settlement. Construction specialist Ben Cowling leads the practice and is a highly regarded practitioner in the space, with an excellent reputation for his in-depth knowledge and experience of both the transactional and contentious side of large-scale projects. He is supported from Dubai by Peter Greatrex, who regularly advises master developers on complex cross-border hospitality matters. Senior associate Ben Cunningham is also a key name to note in the Riyadh office.
Practice head(s):
Ben Cowling
Other key lawyers:
Peter Greatex; Ben Cunningham
Testimonials
‘Depth of knowledge of Saudi market.’
‘Ben Cowling is exceptional.’
AlSabhan & AlAjaji Law Firm
AlSabhan & AlAjaji Law Firm is noted for its established expertise in advising on the transactional and contentious aspects of large-scale construction and real estate projects within Saudi Arabia. Operating out of the Riyadh office, practice head Ibrahim Alajaji is well known for representing government-owned ministries and master developers as well as private property funds. Naif Alsabhan is a key name for litigation, and Peter Blackmore has a strong track record in assisting developers and contractors with PPP projects. Mark Raymont and Philip Corfield-Smith are key names in the Dubai office.
Practice head(s):
Ibrahim Alajaji; Peter Blackmore; Mark Raymont; Philip Corfield-Smith
Other key lawyers:
Nasif Alsabhan
Key clients
NMC Healthcare Ltd
CGGC International
Consortium of FCC Construction SA and International Hospitals Construction Company
Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) and NCP
The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC)
Acciona Agua
Tamasuk Holding Company
FCC Aqualia
FCC Construction
Work highlights
- Assisting a project developer with multiple hotel projects, involving negotiations on the integrated resort participation agreement with appointed international operators.
- Advising NMC Healthcare Limited on its USD 7.5 billion restructure, including the restructure of its property portfolio across six emirates of the UAE.
- Provides ongoing advice to CGGC International (as lead counsel) on its equity investment and its bid for EPC contractor for the high-profile Red Sea Project in Saudi Arabia.