Saudi Arabia

For information regarding our Saudi Arabia office, click here.

Herbert Smith has a formal and exclusive association in Saudi Arabia with the Al-Ghazzawi Professional Association (GPA), one of the Kingdom's largest and leading law firms, with offices in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.

Living and working in Saudi Arabia
A working knowledge of Arabic would be very useful for any period spent in Saudi Arabia and is encouraged, as is knowledge of French which can also be useful. The working week runs from Saturday to Thursday.

Life in KSA is more restrictive than elsewhere in the world and before applying for a role we strongly suggest that you research around living and working in the country. Useful information is provided by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Cultural considerations
Islamic law is strictly enforced in Saudi Arabia. If you work here you will have to respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times and be careful about offending other cultures and religious beliefs.

Many individuals choose to live on compounds, which vary in size from a small colourful village with basic amenities to a large town with supermarkets and extensive leisure facilities. Women use drivers to travel about the Kingdom and must wear abayas. Alcohol is illegal.

Attractions
The social and cultural attractions in Saudi Arabia vary - Riyadh is more conservative than Jeddah, for example. The west coast has the advantage of the Red Sea, the Assir Mountains and areas of great natural beauty. Social life is mainly conducted on the compounds, which makes your choice of compound all the more important.

Benefits vary depending on your role with the firm, but can include 33 days holiday per calendar year, life assurance, end-of-service gratuity or 7% uplift on monthly salary in lieu of pension, health insurance, bonus scheme and accommodation provided by Herbert Smith.