DLA Piper is planning to open a third office in Saudi Arabia before the end of the year, with the plans coming as the firm today confirmed details of its second opening in the region.

The firm announced today that it planned to open a third office in the country as it confirmed its second base in Saudi Arabia in Jeddah. DLA already has an office in Riyadh, where it has been since 2006. 

The third office will be located in the country's Eastern Province, and will service clients in both Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Peter Somekh, DLA regional managing partner in the Middle East, said Saudi Arabia had "always been a key country" for the firm.

He added: "We already have more than 20 lawyers permanently based in Saudi, 18 of whom are Saudi nationals and all of whom are internationally qualified, and we're looking to further expand the team over the coming year."

The firm's Jeddah office is being headed by legal director Rakesh Bassi, who joined DLA last year from Clifford Chance.

DLA's move comes after Latham & Watkins announced plans to reduce its footprint in the Middle East. In March the firm revealed that it would close its Abu Dhabi and Doha offices, leaving it with just two bases in the region in Dubai and Riyadh.