Shearman & Sterling has enhanced its Saudi Arabia offering with the announcement of an affiliation with local firm Abdulaziz Alassaf & Partners.

The local Saudi firm has 16 lawyers across three offices in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al-Khobar and acts on finance, real estate and construction matters.

Alongside the local team - whose prominent lawyers include Sanjarbek Abdukhalilov, Abdulaziz Alassaf and Sultan Almasoud. Abdukhalilov - Shearman will send counsel Brendan Hundt from the project development team to join the offering on the ground.

Shearman already has a long established office in Abu Dhabi where the practice has close ties to the Government in the Emirate.