Middle East

We are a market-leading international law firm in the Middle East, with over 32 Tier One directory rankings achieved in the region in 2022, and more award winning first-of-a-kind deals than any other firm. We work with clients throughout the Middle East and North Africa and have offices in Abu Dhabi, Casablanca, Dubai, Istanbul and Riyadh*.

A market-leading international law firm

We opened our first Middle East office in 1975. Today we have offices in Abu Dhabi, Casablanca, Dubai, Istanbul and Riyadh*.

Our teams' outstanding work and our close working relationships with clients has earned us the most Tier One rankings across the Chambers Global, The Legal 500 and IFLR directories than any other law firm in the Middle East.

We advise regional and international clients on their business interests across the Middle East and North Africa. When we advise clients who want to build or expand their international business we work closely with colleagues from our international network.

An in-region team with an impressive track record

We base our lawyers – over 140 of them – in the region. We've found that clients get the best results when their team is familiar with the region's languages, cultures, laws and business processes. So we've built an on-the-ground team with sophisticated capabilities and a wide range of expertise. We regularly work on intra-region and outbound transactions and our track-record shows that we have one of the strongest teams in the region.

_{*including the AS&H team in Saudi Arabia}

Recent highlights

Recent assignments (deals and other client work)

the largest ever M&A transactions in the Middle East
the largest ever IPOs in Dubai and the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange
the historic first bond issue by the Federal Government of the United Arab Emirates
the first ever public company statutory merger in Qatar
the project financing for the world's largest solar power project
the landmark privatisations of five of Saudi Arabia's international airports
the creation a global clean energy powerhouse focusing on renewable energy and green hydrogen
The world's first sustainable Tier 2 Sukuk issuance
Ad Hoc Creditors' Committee of NMC Healthcare on its ground-breaking USD 7 billion financial restructuring, including the first ever use of ADGM administration and deeds of company arrangement
on the procurement, construction, project finance and real estate aspects of numerous megaprojects in Saudi Arabia including the Red Sea Project and Six Flags Qiddiya
two of the largest ever transactions in the oil & gas sector in the Middle East involving Saudi Aramco Oil Pipelines and Saud Aramco Gas Pipelines
the first sustainability-linked-loan (SLL) tied to ESG targets in global aviation

Awards and milestones

MENA M&A Legal Adviser of the Year,
Mergermarket European M&A Awards 2022
Saudi Arabia Corporate/Commercial Law Firm of the Year
Chambers Middle East Awards 2022
International Law Firm of the Year
LegalWeek Middle East Legal Awards 2022
Banking & Finance Legal Adviser of the Year
Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East Awards 2022
Team of the Year - Debt & Equity-Linked
IFLR Middle East Awards 2021

Directory and client comments

Directory Highlights

Clifford Chance has earned more tier 1 rankings with Chambers Global, The Legal 500 and IFLR than any other law firm in the Middle East for many consecutive years
1^st place for M&A in the Middle East and Africa (Mergermarket 2020 Global M&A League Tables, by value)

Client Comments

"Clifford Chance's history in the Middle East goes back many years. In 1975, it was one of the first international law firms to establish an office in Dubai, and it has been a leading name in the region ever since. As of 2021, its Dubai presence is complemented by a substantial offering in Abu Dhabi, as well as a successful cooperation agreement with one of the best teams in Riyadh, AS&H Law Firm. From these three offices, Clifford Chance advises on a variety of market-leading mandates across the Middle East, with key areas of strength including Islamic and project finance, multi-jurisdictional M&A instructions, and high-value DIFC litigation. Client testimonials note that the team is “extremely attentive and very quick to respond,” in addition to being “technically very, very strong."
Middle East International Law Firm of the Year, Chambers Middle East Awards, 2021
Clifford Chance is a powerhouse across the financial and corporate sphere with highly rated partners and a deep bench in almost all areas. One of the world’s pre-eminent law firms, the firm has a significant depth and range of resources across five continents.
IFLR, 2020
"fantastic in strategic advice, deal execution and 'white glove' service"
Chambers Global, 2022