Middle East Training Contract
Your journey begins here
Our Middle East training contract is one of the most varied among leading international firms. Based on a four-seat pattern, you will get the widest possible exposure to different practice areas and offices around the world, enabling you to make the best and most informed choice of qualification area.
Across the Middle East, we have experiences lawyers in almost every field of law, exposing our trainee solicitors to the full spectrum of opportunities on offer. As a trainee solicitor you will be challenged with tasks and legal issues by industry professionals, enhancing your analytical thinking and introducing you to some of the demands of our profession. You will also be given the best practical and hands-on training in the practice of corporate, banking, disputes and other areas of law by some of the finest minds in the field. On joining our firm, our Trainee Induction Program will assist you in making your transition from student to work life as easy as possible, so you can focus on learning and growing in your career.
Who can apply?
To apply for a training contract in Dubai, candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Solicitor Qualifying Examination (“SQE”) - candidates must have completed the SQE, and final grading must be received prior to your application.
- Achieved at least a 2:1 degree (or equivalent).
- Must be a native Arabic Speaker (fluent in written and spoken Arabic).
Seat opportunities
We offer a two year training contract consisting of four, six month seat rotations, which allows our trainee solicitors the opportunity to experience a variety of legal disciplines and exposure to different practice areas and offices around the world. This enables you to make the best and most informed choice in the area of qualification you choose to pursue.
How it works
As a trainee solicitor you can expect to spend at least one six-month seat in our dispute, corporate and banking practice, with the remainder of your training contract repeated in one of the three practice areas. At least two of these seats will be spent in our London Office, with the remaining of the seats spent in the Middle East. Our aim is to provide you with exposure to as many practices and jurisdictions as possible during the two year training programme.
Our teams
- Banking & finance
- Corporate
- Real estate
- Disputes
Knowledge, learning and development
The training you receive is only the beginning of your learning and development with us. We offer a number of programs designed to help you enhance your legal and professional business skills over the course of your career. You will attend our International Academies, as well as single and multi-day skills programs, designed specifically for our lawyers, to address topics such as business development, team working and project management - skills necessary to be a top-class lawyer and business person.
Lawyers from different offices attend the academies together, allowing you to develop your internal network with colleagues from various locations and practice areas. We also offer shorter skills sessions on topics such as being an outstanding presenter, persuading and influencing for success and managing upwards.
Legal teams provide regular training for lawyers at all levels. Sessions range from banking and corporate foundation programs, to ongoing updates on legal developments across our practice areas.
Support and development
We offer lots of guidance and support throughout the program including:
- Trainee buddy
- Partner mentor
- Seat-specific practice area training
- Day-to-day associate support
- Trainee development team
Your future: Qualification and beyond
- Trainee
- Associate - Excel in your training contract and you’ll qualify into your choice of area as an associate.
- Senior Associate - You’re growing your business acumen, commerciality and client relationships – and nurturing those around you too.
- Partner - A strong leader with an established client base, you’ll guide your team – and our firm.
How to apply
We recruit for trainee solicitors every two years and once the recruitment portal is open, this will be posted on our ME careers page. Our next recruitment window will be around October - December 2025 for a training contract start date of September 2026.