Institution Quraysh for Law & Policy and Covington & Burling LLP to Support Economic Cities Initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Riyadh, 2 February - Arab world specialist legal consulting firm Institution Quraysh for Law & Policy (iQ) announced today that it would be establishing new offices in Riyadh and King Abdullah Economic City from which iQ and affiliateinternational law firm Covington & Burling LLP (Covington) will support Saudi Arabia's Economic Cities Authority (ECA) initiative.

ECA is the regulator behind Saudi Arabia's four planned economic cities, with its headquarters in King Abdullah Economic City being the flagship project. The Economic Cities are set to diversify The Kingdom's predominantly oil-based economy by attracting new foreign and domestic investment and addressing job creation and opportunities for the Kingdom's growing population.

At the Global Competitiveness Forum in Riyadh last week, whose speakers included President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair, Timothy Hester, the chair of Covington's management committee, said: "The success of the cities of the future will depend heavily on the quality of their legal infrastructure. Investors have choices to make, and in a global economy they will focus their investment in economies strongly supported by the rule of law." He added: "We are honored to be working with His Excellency Amr Dabbagh and the new ECA Secretary General Helal to support His Majesty's vision for the development of the Kingdom's Economic Cities."

Malik Dahlan, iQ Principal, stated: "We are happy to be the first firm with our kind of expertise to locate in King Abdullah Economic City. Through our affiliation with Covington, we are committed to providing support on governance and rule of law infrastructure issues whilst at the same time maintaining the Kingdom's cultural integrity."

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About Institution Quraysh for Law & Policy (iQ)
Institution Quraysh for Law & Policy (iQ) is a transnational legal and policy firm with offices in Doha, Jeddah, and London and soon to have offices in Riyadh and King Abdullah Economic City. As the only legal and policy service provider of its kind, iQ's possesses an unparalleled understanding of the laws, regulatory regimes, culture, and economics of the Arab world.

Serving at an intersection of law, policy, and academia, iQ draws on the talents and experience of experts from within the region and further afield, conducting the most rigorous legal and policy analysis of developments in the Arab world. In addition to providing advice and services to sovereign entities, and non-governmental organisations, iQ's work ranges from the publication of policy papers, articles, and opinion pieces, to direct involvement in numerous roundtable events every year, and collaborative efforts with other academic, and policy institutions. Its work includes projects with organisations such as the United Nations, the Arab League, the World Economic Forum, and Harvard Law School, among others.

About Covington & Burling LLP
Covington & Burling LLP, an international law firm, provides corporate, litigation, and regulatory expertise to enable clients to achieve their goals. Founded in 1919, the firm has more than 800 lawyers and offices in Beijing, Brussels, London, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington, DC.

For further media information on iQ please contact:
James Caffall
Forbes Associates
T: +974 4452 8263
M: +974 33834730
E: james@forbes-associates.com

For further media information on Covington and Burling LLP please contact:
Maria Ivy
Covington and Burling LLP
T: +44 (0)20 7067 2260
E: mivy@cov.com