Trowers and Hamlins a founding partner of initiative to strengthen Saudi-UK business relationships

Trowers & Hamlins is a founding partner of the Saudi-UK YPP and is heavily involved in supporting the initiative, along with HSBC, Shell International, KPMG, International Power and Standard Chartered. The programme will be managed by the Council of Saudi Chambers and the Arab British Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to regular networking events intended to build on business ties between the two countries a key part of the Saudi-UK YPP will be a series of work exchange programmes to enable young Saudi and UK professionals to gain valuable experience working outside of their own country.

According to Trowers & Hamlins programme will break new ground in forging personal, commercial and international relationships between the two countries. It will enable young UK and Saudi professionals to assist each other in their professional development, whilst giving them a new understanding and experience of the very different business cultures that exist in the two countries.

Trowers & Hamlins will participate in one of the first work exchange programmes set up by the Saudi-UK YPP which will see Shawaf Al Shawaf of Saudi Arabian law firm Feras Alshawaf seconded to Trowers & Hamlins' London offices.

Trowers & Hamlins has one of the largest legal practices in Saudi Arabia with close links to its local partner firm Feras Alshawaf. It points out that Saudi Arabia is the UK's largest trading partner in the Middle East with UK exports worth £2.27bn in 2008. The UK is Saudi Arabia's second largest foreign investor with total investments of £728m in 2008.

Leroy Levy, Saudi Resident Managing Partner for Trowers & Hamlins comments, "Part of the reason why we have been so successful in Saudi Arabia is that we have been able to integrate into the local business culture so we are delighted to be a founding partner of this programme. The initiative will help to further strengthen the close ties we have already forged with Feras Alshawaf and other Saudi businesses and at the same time will act as a key means for professionals from both countries to work more closely together and learn from each others' work experience."

Jonathan Adlington, Trowers & Hamlins Senior Partner adds, "The firm has an active CSR programme both in the UK and in the markets in which we operate and this is a good example of the type of initiative which we are keen to support in the Middle East."

The YPP was first proposed during the state visit to London by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud in November 2007 and was set in motion in November 2008 during the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's visit to Saudi Arabia.