Linklaters is planning to expand its Middle Eastern offering with a new office in the region, two people close to the situation have said.

The firm is looking to open its own office in Riyadh, and one person said the move is "inevitable".

Linklaters currently operates in the city via a relationship with local law firm Zamakhchary & Co, which it established in 2017. The firm also has its own offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The person said such an expansion would make sense in light of current market conditions, describing Saudi Arabia as "the best regulated market" in the Middle East and arguing it has a "deeper economy" compared to the United Arab Emirates".

Another person with knowledge of the situation described Riyadh as "the political and increasingly business capital" in the region.

"It's difficult to underestimate the impact the moves towards liberalisation could have on the country."

He also pointed to the continued economic and social growth of Saudi Arabia as a reason to commit further to the market. Other lawyers in the Middle East have recently predicted a continued boom in the country.

Samir Kantaria, head of employment and incentives at Al Tamimi & Co told Law.com International's U.K. arm Legal Week that "the reforms [in Saudi Arabia] are welcome and certainly good for the Middle East and for business.

"Some of the governmental projects we are currently working on are also looking at how to make it easier for foreign investors and companies to come in."

"It's difficult to underestimate the impact the moves towards liberalisation could have on the country," added a partner at Winston & Strawn.