Reed Smith is the latest prominent firm to stake its claim in Saudi Arabia’s rapidly expanding legal market, securing a licence in January, according to the Kingdom’s Ministry of Investment.

The move is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. A wave of top-tier U.K. and U.S. law firms are racing to establish a foothold in Riyadh, drawn by sweeping legal reforms and the game-changing Regional Headquarters (RHQ) Licence. As Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 transforms the capital into a major legal hub, firms are seizing the opportunity—whether by securing independent licences, merging with local firms, or forging strategic partnerships—to tap into the Kingdom’s booming business landscape.