Associated Baker & McKenzie office opens in Jeddah

Legal Advisors, Abdulaziz I. Al-Ajlan & Partners in Association with Baker & McKenzie Ltd is opening an office in Jeddah, one of Saudi Arabia's primary commercial centres.

Julie Alexander, one of the region's leading finance lawyers, specialising in Islamic finance and project and contractor finance transactions, will supervise and support the development of the Jeddah office.  Julie represents banks, borrowers and project sponsors in transactions primarily involving Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar, and she will divide her time between the firm's Bahrain office and the new associated office in Jeddah.

Basel Barakat, who joined the practice in April this year, will also be based in the Jeddah office. Basel's practice is similarly focused on transactional project, contractor and Islamic finance matters. Basel is recognised as a leading lawyer in the Saudi Arabian market. He has advised on many of the project financing arrangements for Saudi Arabia's Independent Water & Power Projects and Independent Power Projects to date, and on project financing arrangements for some of the largest and most complex Saudi Arabian infrastructure projects.