An in-depth report conducted by a major legal platform earlier this year provided some interesting insight into the dynamic of the Middle East market.
It is pretty evident that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is undergoing exciting growth and that many law firms, as a result, are setting up shop there. However, that said, 60% of lawyers at the largest firms in the Middle East reside in Dubai.
This is indeed a ringing endorsement of Dubai's positioning as a global hub, which further underlines the potency of the Emirate's financial centre, status as a travel hub, and leisure possibilities. Behind Dubai, the second most-popular spot in the UAE is Abu Dhabi, with 12%, giving the UAE almost three-quarters, confirming the popularity of the country in the MENA/GCC region.
Over the course of the next few years, the above dynamic might start to change as the KSA starts to gain more global prominence in the legal market, but as things stand, lawyers would still rather prefer to reside in the UAE, notably Dubai.
One thing is for certain, there is plenty of opportunity for lawyers seeking to build a career in this part of the world. (Largely) excellent weather, tax-free income, nature of the work on offer and a high (base-level) quality of life all ensures for this, and things will only get bigger and better over the years.
If you are a lawyer seeking to understand more about the market, please get in touch for a (confidential) discussion.
