Regional growth in focus for HKA as it opens a new office in Saudi Arabia

HKA, a global consultancy in risk mitigation, dispute resolution, expert witness and arbitration, litigation support services, has demonstrated its commitment to growth in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East by moving into a prestigious new office in the iconic Kingdom Centre Building in Riyadh.

The new office on the 16th floor of the 99-storey landmark tower signifies the next step of growth for HKA in its two-decade presence in Saudi Arabia with the intent of becoming a hub for talented resources and a diverse collaborative team within the Kingdom

“As well as attracting global experts to the region, we have a strong focus on finding homegrown talent to nurture future leaders of HKA and the construction sector,” said Jad Chouman, HKA’s partner and head of Middle East. “Our new office will help us attract local and international talent. This, coupled with our ongoing work on ground-breaking and prominent Giga projects and developments, will also inspire the very best talent in our field to join the firm.”

Achieving gender parity is an important element in HKA’s recruitment approach. A significant proportion of the firm’s workforce is women, and it is steadily increasing the number of Arabic speakers it recruits.

Chouman continued, “With our growing team permanently stationed in Saudi Arabia and numerous colleagues frequently travelling from the region and our global network of offices, we are delighted to have established the base of our Regional Headquarters (RHQ) in the prestigious Kingdom Centre in Riyadh. The entire team is enthusiastic about this strategic move.”

Emphasising the importance of the new office to the firm’s ambitions, Husam Gawish, partner and head of Saudi Arabia Operations, said, “The Kingdom Centre is a fitting new home for us. It goes hand in hand with our growth plans in the country and further afield. This is another high point of our presence in Saudi Arabia that began in 2007.”

The Kingdom Centre move follows the firm’s gaining regional headquarters (RHQ) status in 2024, which gives it a licence under the Saudi government RHQ programme to work on large, complex public projects. Gawish said, “Being one of the very first consultancies in our field to establish our RHQ in the Kingdom adds further strength to our growth strategy as it will involve government sector work alongside our core private sector client portfolio.”

Gawish said the firm would continue building on its four main service areas: Construction Claims & Expert Services, Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages, Forensic Technical Services and Advisory Services.

“We are increasing our activity steadily in all areas as we expand our client base of contractors, employers, private and public sector companies across the Middle East,” he said.

Amanda Clack, partner and regional CEO said about the new office, “HKA is proud of our heritage and length of supporting the vision for Saudi Arabia. We are delighted our new office in the Kingdom Tower is not only is a great place to work for our colleagues but puts us at the heart of Riyadh to provide a hub close to, and for our clients. We look forward to welcoming you.”

In Saudi Arabia, the firm has a second office in Jeddah, as well as regional offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha. It has operated in the Middle East for over 40 years.