We use cookies for analytics to improve your experience. Privacy Policy
At the centre of Vision 2030 — where the Kingdom's historic legal reforms, giga-projects, and capital market transformation create the region's most consequential practice.
Saudi Arabia is spending over US$1 trillion on giga-projects, rewriting its entire legal framework in real time, and requiring every multinational to establish a regional headquarters in Riyadh. If your business touches the Kingdom, the legal complexity is unlike anything else in the Gulf. GSDA's Riyadh team advises the international contractors, investors, and financial institutions navigating this transformation — from NEOM EPC contract negotiation to MISA foreign investment licensing to SCCA arbitration when disputes arise. Our lawyers know the new Civil Transactions Law, the reformed Commercial Courts, and the procurement rules that determine whether your giga-project bid succeeds or fails.
The Paris-Riyadh corridor is one of the busiest in our practice. French industrial groups, luxury brands, defence companies, and construction firms are among the largest foreign participants in the Saudi economy. When TotalEnergies negotiates a downstream contract, when a French EPC contractor bids on a NEOM package, or when a Gulf investor acquires a French company through a Saudi holding structure — our dual presence means one firm handles both sides. That eliminates the coordination risk that costs clients time and control when separate firms are involved.
Office Details
Industries we serve
NEOM, The Red Sea, AMAALA, Qiddiya, Diriyah Gate, New Murabba, and the Riyadh Metro collectively represent over US$1 trillion in planned investment. We advise international contractors, JV partners, and subcontractors on procurement bids, EPC and FIDIC contracts, delay and variation claims, and dispute resolution under Saudi law and international arbitration rules.
Tadawul is the largest stock exchange in the Middle East by market capitalisation. We advise on IPOs, secondary offerings, sukuk issuances, fund formation, and regulatory compliance with the CMA's capital market regulations. We also advise fintech companies navigating SAMA's regulatory sandbox and the CMA's fintech framework.
The liberalised foreign investment regime and the new Companies Law have transformed corporate practice in Saudi Arabia. We advise on company formation (LLC, JSC, branch offices), joint ventures with Saudi partners, shareholder agreements, and the MISA licensing process — including the Regional Headquarters Programme requiring international firms to establish in Riyadh by 2024.
Saudi Arabia remains the world's largest oil exporter and is simultaneously investing heavily in renewable energy (NEOM Green Hydrogen, Sudair Solar, the National Renewable Energy Programme). We advise on upstream and downstream energy contracts, project finance, power purchase agreements, and the regulatory framework governing Saudi Aramco's partner and contractor relationships.
The Kingdom's construction pipeline is the largest in the world, with over US$1.3 trillion in awarded and planned projects. We advise on construction contracts (FIDIC and Saudi Government Tenders Law), delay claims, defect disputes, real estate development agreements, and the regulatory framework governing the General Authority for Real Estate (REGA).
Saudi Arabia's digital transformation — anchored by the Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST) and the Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) — is creating a new technology regulatory environment. We advise on data protection compliance (Personal Data Protection Law), cloud computing regulations, AI governance, and technology licensing and procurement contracts.
We advise international contractors and JV partners bidding on NEOM, The Red Sea, Qiddiya, and Diriyah Gate — covering Government Tenders and Procurement Law compliance, FIDIC contract negotiation, claims management for delay, disruption, and variation, and the dispute resolution strategies that protect your position.
We advise on acquisitions, dispositions, and joint ventures under the new Companies Law — including cross-border transactions where Gulf and European interests converge. Our Paris connection is particularly valuable for French industrial groups, luxury brands, and defence companies establishing in the Kingdom.
We represent clients before the Commercial Courts, the Board of Grievances, the Labour Courts, and in SCCA arbitration. Our understanding of both the codified law and the remaining Sharia-based principles that inform judicial reasoning enables advocacy that matches the reality of Saudi courts.
We advise on MISA foreign investment licensing, the Regional Headquarters Programme, CMA capital market compliance, SAMA banking regulations, and sector-specific licensing in construction, technology, healthcare, and professional services.
The Nitaqat programme and reformed Labour Law create complex obligations for international employers. We advise on workforce nationalisation strategies, secondment arrangements, termination disputes, and Labour Court proceedings — helping clients comply without compromising operational capability.
We advise on murabaha, ijara, istisna, wakala, and sukuk issuances on Tadawul — structuring products that satisfy Sharia scholars' requirements while meeting the documentation standards expected by international financial institutions.
Saudi's US$1.3 trillion construction pipeline generates disputes at scale. We manage claims from day one — contemporaneous record-keeping, variation notices, delay analysis — and represent clients in SCCA arbitration and Commercial Court proceedings when claims cannot be resolved.
Tadawul is the Middle East's largest stock exchange. We advise on IPOs, secondary offerings, sukuk issuances, fund formation, and CMA regulatory compliance — serving issuers, underwriters, and institutional investors navigating Saudi's rapidly developing capital markets framework.
We advise on upstream and downstream energy contracts — Saudi Aramco partner agreements, oilfield service contracts, refinery procurement, and the new generation of renewable energy PPAs under the National Renewable Energy Programme and NEOM Green Hydrogen.
Saudi's digital transformation — CST, SDAIA, and the Personal Data Protection Law — is creating new compliance obligations. We advise technology companies on data localisation, AI governance, cloud computing regulations, and the procurement contracts that govern government digitisation.
We advise on the structuring of real estate investments under REGA regulations — from residential mega-developments to mixed-use commercial projects — covering land acquisition, development agreements, off-plan sales compliance, and REIT structuring on Tadawul.
The requirement for multinationals to establish regional headquarters in Riyadh is reshaping corporate structuring across the Gulf. We advise on entity selection, employment structuring, tax implications, and the regulatory engagement with MISA that determines programme compliance.
Regulatory environment
Saudi Arabia's legal system is historically based on Sharia (Islamic law), with the Quran and Sunnah as primary sources. However, the Kingdom has undergone radical legal codification under Vision 2030. The new Civil Transactions Law (2023), the first comprehensive civil code in Saudi history, codifies contract law, tort law, and property rights in 721 articles — replacing the previously uncodified Sharia-based commercial principles with a predictable, statute-based framework. The new Companies Law (2022) modernises corporate governance, introduces simplified incorporation procedures, and permits single-shareholder LLCs. The reformed Commercial Courts Law and the Enforcement Law have significantly improved dispute resolution efficiency.
The Saudi judicial system comprises the Board of Grievances (Diwan al-Mazalim), which hears administrative and government contract disputes; the Commercial Courts, which handle private commercial litigation; and the Labour Courts for employment disputes. The Saudi Centre for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) administers domestic and international arbitration under UNCITRAL-based rules, and Saudi Arabia is a signatory to the New York Convention for enforcement of foreign arbitral awards.
Key regulatory bodies include the Capital Market Authority (CMA), which regulates Tadawul (the Saudi stock exchange, now the region's largest by market capitalisation), the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) for banking and insurance regulation, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) overseeing the capital's development, and the various giga-project authorities (NEOM, RCU, Qiddiya Investment Company) that each operate with substantial regulatory autonomy. The Ministry of Investment (MISA) administers the foreign investment licensing regime, which has been progressively liberalised to permit 100% foreign ownership in most sectors. GSDA's Riyadh team maintains close working relationships with these institutions to ensure clients receive current, actionable regulatory guidance.
The GSDA advantage
Positioned at the epicentre of the largest economic transformation programme in global history — Vision 2030's giga-projects, regulatory reforms, and capital market developments create unprecedented legal demand.
Paris-Riyadh corridor expertise: French and European companies are among the largest contractors and investors in Saudi Arabia — our dual presence enables seamless coordination on transactions that span both markets.
Deep understanding of Saudi Arabia's rapidly evolving legal framework — the new Civil Transactions Law, Companies Law, and reformed court system — combined with the international perspective of a firm active in 10 offices across 8 jurisdictions.
Strong relationships with Saudi regulatory institutions including MISA, CMA, SAMA, and the giga-project authorities — enabling current, actionable guidance on licensing, compliance, and dispute resolution.
Trilingual team operating in Arabic, English, and French — reflecting the languages of Saudi business, international contracting, and the significant French and Francophone African business community in the Kingdom.
The complexity of Saudi giga-project procurement is extraordinary — GSDA's Riyadh team understood both the Government Tenders Law and the FIDIC framework, which saved us months of negotiation on our NEOM contract.
Chief Legal Officer, International EPC Contractor
Our Riyadh office advises on giga-project construction contracts, corporate structuring and M&A, capital markets and sukuk, energy and natural resources, technology regulation, employment and Saudisation, and dispute resolution before the Saudi courts and in SCCA arbitration. We serve international contractors, investors, financial institutions, and technology companies operating in the Kingdom.
Giga-project advisory is a core strength of our Riyadh practice. We advise contractors, JV partners, and subcontractors on NEOM, The Red Sea, Qiddiya, Diriyah Gate, and other major programmes — covering procurement bids, FIDIC and Government Tenders Law contract negotiation, claims management, and dispute resolution.
We represent clients before the Saudi Commercial Courts, the Board of Grievances (for government contract disputes), and the Labour Courts. We also conduct arbitration proceedings under SCCA rules. Our understanding of both the new codified civil law and the remaining Sharia-based principles ensures effective advocacy in Saudi proceedings.
We advise international businesses on the MISA foreign investment licensing process, including entity formation, the Regional Headquarters Programme (requiring multinationals to establish in Riyadh), sector-specific licensing requirements, and ongoing regulatory compliance. We also advise on joint ventures with Saudi partners where local participation is required.
The Paris-Riyadh corridor is one of our most active cross-border relationships. French industrial groups, luxury brands, construction companies, and defence firms are major participants in the Saudi economy. Our dual presence enables coordinated legal strategy for transactions and disputes that span both jurisdictions, including French foreign investment screening for Saudi acquisitions in France.
We advise on IPOs and secondary offerings on Tadawul, sukuk issuances, fund formation, and CMA regulatory compliance. Our capital markets practice serves issuers, financial institutions, and investors navigating Saudi Arabia's rapidly developing securities regulation — the most sophisticated capital market regulatory framework in the Gulf.
Yes. We advise employers on Nitaqat compliance (workforce nationalisation quotas), the reformed Saudi Labour Law, employment contract drafting, termination procedures, end-of-service benefit calculations, and Labour Court dispute resolution. For international companies, we also advise on the structuring of secondment and managed-service arrangements.
The Civil Transactions Law (2023) is Saudi Arabia's first comprehensive civil code — 721 articles codifying contract law, tort, and property rights that were previously governed by uncodified Sharia principles. This is the most significant legal reform in Saudi history, creating a predictable, statute-based commercial law framework. Our team advises clients on how this new code affects their existing and future contractual relationships.
