When Jones Day, Baker McKenzie, and other top law firms set their sights on Saudi Arabia, they stepped into a complex environment where simply obtaining a licence can take years.

Although some firms have moved through the bureaucratic system with relative ease, Allen & Overy waited 18 months for its licence (long before the A&O Shearman merger) and Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle reportedly took two years to get its papers in 2021.