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5 Offices Across the Kingdom
International corporate legal consultancy with offices in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Makkah & Madinah. Advising on Vision 2030 giga-projects, corporate structuring, construction disputes, and cross-border transactions across the Kingdom.
5
Saudi Offices
40+
Years of Practice
3
Languages (AR/EN/FR)
10
Offices Worldwide
Saudi Arabia is executing the most ambitious economic transformation programme in history. Vision 2030 has committed over USD 1.3 trillionto giga-projects — NEOM, The Red Sea, Qiddiya, Diriyah Gate, New Murabba — while simultaneously rewriting the Kingdom's entire legal framework. The new Civil Transactions Law, the reformed Companies Law, the modernised Commercial Courts, and sector-specific legislation covering technology, data protection, and environmental regulation have transformed Saudi Arabia's legal landscape more in the past five years than in the previous five decades.
For international companies operating in Saudi Arabia — or Saudi enterprises navigating cross-border transactions — finding legal counsel that combines deep understanding of these rapidly evolving Saudi laws with genuine international capability is essential. A legal consultancy that knows the MISA licensing process but not the FIDIC contract framework is as incomplete as one that understands ICC arbitration but not the Saudi Government Tenders and Procurement Law.
GSDA Legal Consultants occupies a distinctive position in the Saudi legal market. With five offices across the Kingdom — in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Makkah, and Madinah — and integrated offices in Paris, Dubai, Doha, Cairo, and across the Gulf, we deliver the combination of local Saudi expertise and international network capability that complex cross-border matters require.
Saudi Practice Areas
Our Saudi Offices
From the regulatory capital in Riyadh to the commercial gateway of Jeddah, the energy heartland of Dammam, and the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah — GSDA is where the work is.
Saudi Legal Landscape
Saudi Arabia's first comprehensive civil code — 721 articles codifying contract law, tort, and property rights. This is the most significant legal reform in Saudi history, replacing uncodified Sharia-based commercial principles with a predictable, statute-based framework. GSDA advises clients on how this new code affects existing and future contractual relationships.
Modernised corporate governance, simplified incorporation procedures, single-shareholder LLCs, and new provisions for corporate restructuring. The Companies Law reform has fundamentally changed how businesses are formed and governed in Saudi Arabia.
The reformed Investment Law eliminates the traditional local partner requirement, permitting 100% foreign ownership in most sectors. The Ministry of Investment (MISA) now administers a unified licensing regime that replaces the former SAGIA system. GSDA guides foreign investors through the licensing process.
The SCCA has established itself as the region's leading arbitration institution with its 2023 Rules. For international businesses, SCCA arbitration offers faster resolution timelines, arbitrator selection from an international panel, and awards enforceable under the New York Convention.
All government-funded projects — including the majority of Vision 2030 mega-projects — must comply with the GTPL framework. Pre-qualification, local content requirements (30-70%), and Saudisation obligations create a complex procurement environment that international contractors must navigate.
The Nitaqat programme mandates minimum Saudi national employment ratios for all private-sector employers. The 2021 Labour Law Amendments introduced significant changes to employment contracts, termination, and end-of-service benefits. Non-compliance results in visa restrictions and licence suspension.
French and European companies are among the largest foreign contractors and investors in Saudi Arabia. TotalEnergies, Alstom, Vinci, Thales, Bouygues, and dozens of other major European enterprises are deeply embedded in the Saudi economy — from NEOM EPC contract execution to downstream energy partnerships to defence procurement.
GSDA's integrated Paris-Riyadh practice means one consultancy handles both sides of cross-border transactions. When a French EPC contractor bids on a NEOM package, when a Gulf investor acquires a French company through a Saudi holding structure, or when a Saudi conglomerate needs French foreign investment screening advice — our dual presence eliminates the coordination risk that costs clients time and control when separate firms are involved.
This corridor is especially active in construction and infrastructure (French contractors delivering Vision 2030 packages), energy (TotalEnergies and Saudi Aramco partnerships), defence and aerospace (Thales, Naval Group, Dassault), and luxury and hospitality (Accor, LVMH, Kering expanding into Saudi entertainment and tourism).
Saudi Sectors
Saudi Arabia Insights
Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Makkah, and Madinah — the most extensive Saudi office network of any international legal consultancy with a European headquarters. We are where the work is, not advising on Saudi matters from Dubai.
French and European companies are among the largest contractors and investors in Saudi Arabia. Our integrated Paris-Riyadh practice enables seamless coordination on transactions and disputes that span both markets.
NEOM, The Red Sea, Qiddiya, Diriyah Gate — our construction and corporate teams advise on the legal dimensions of the largest infrastructure programme in global history.
Every legal consultant in our Saudi practice operates in Arabic, English, and French. We draft contracts in the language required, argue before Saudi courts in Arabic, and coordinate with European counterparties in French and English.
With offices in Dubai, Doha, Manama, Kuwait City, Muscat, and Cairo alongside our Saudi offices, we manage multi-jurisdictional transactions and disputes through our own legal consultants rather than external referrals.
Founded in Paris in 1984, GSDA has spent four decades building the cross-border legal infrastructure that Saudi Arabia's globalising economy demands. Our experience predates Vision 2030 — we have advised on Saudi commercial law throughout its transformation.
GSDA provides comprehensive corporate legal consultancy across Saudi Arabia, including corporate structuring, MISA foreign investment licensing, construction and EPC contract advisory, SCCA arbitration and dispute resolution, employment and Saudisation compliance, capital markets and sukuk structuring, energy and natural resources advisory, and real estate development. Our five offices in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Makkah, and Madinah ensure Kingdom-wide coverage.
Yes. GSDA operates five offices across Saudi Arabia — in Riyadh (our Saudi headquarters), Jeddah, Dammam, Makkah, and Madinah. This is the most extensive Saudi office network of any international legal consultancy with a Paris headquarters, enabling us to advise on matters in every region of the Kingdom.
Vision 2030 giga-project advisory is a core strength of our Saudi practice. We advise international contractors, JV partners, investors, and subcontractors on NEOM, The Red Sea, Qiddiya, Diriyah Gate, and other major programmes — covering procurement bids, Government Tenders and Procurement Law compliance, FIDIC and bespoke contract negotiation, claims management, and SCCA arbitration.
We guide foreign companies through the complete Saudi market entry process: MISA investment licence applications, company formation (LLC, JSC, branch office, or RHQ), commercial registration, Saudisation planning, sector-specific licensing, and the Regional Headquarters Programme. Our trilingual team handles both the regulatory engagement and the commercial structuring.
We advise clients before the Saudi Commercial Courts, the Board of Grievances (for government contract disputes), the Labour Courts, and in SCCA arbitration proceedings. We also handle international arbitration under ICC and LCIA rules for Saudi-related disputes. Our understanding of both the new codified Saudi civil law and the Sharia-based principles that inform judicial reasoning ensures effective advocacy.
Three factors distinguish GSDA. First, our genuine multi-office Saudi presence — five cities, not a single Riyadh office claiming Kingdom-wide coverage. Second, our Paris-Riyadh corridor expertise serving the significant French and European corporate presence in Saudi Arabia. Third, our trilingual Arabic-English-French capability enabling seamless advisory across the languages of Saudi business, international contracting, and Francophone commerce.
Yes. We advise employers on the full spectrum of Saudi Labour Law compliance — employment contracts, termination procedures, end-of-service benefits, Nitaqat Saudisation quotas, working hours and overtime, annual leave entitlements, and Labour Court proceedings. For international companies, we structure secondment arrangements and workforce nationalisation strategies that satisfy regulatory requirements without compromising operational capability.
Islamic finance is a core capability across our Saudi offices. We advise on sukuk issuances, murabaha facilities, ijara structures, istisna construction finance, and takaful — working with issuers, arranging banks, trustees, and Sharia supervisory boards. Our Jeddah office, located in the city that hosts the Islamic Development Bank, has particular depth in Sharia-compliant finance.
We offer an initial confidential consultation to understand your requirements and advise on the legal strategy and anticipated costs. Fee structures vary based on the complexity and scope of the matter — from fixed-fee corporate formations to hourly advisory for complex transactions and disputes. Contact any of our five Saudi offices for a consultation.
Our Saudi practice covers construction and infrastructure (including Vision 2030 giga-projects), oil and gas, petrochemicals and manufacturing, capital markets and financial services, real estate development, technology and digital economy, Hajj and Umrah infrastructure, energy and renewables, hospitality and tourism, and professional services. Our sector-specific expertise enables us to advise on industry-specific regulatory requirements alongside core corporate and commercial law.
Contact our Saudi Arabia team for a confidential consultation. We respond within 24 hours.