L.E.K. Consulting expands in UAE and launches KSA office

Global consulting firm L.E.K. Consulting is expanding its presence in the GCC, building out its footprint in the UAE and launching a new office in Saudi Arabia.

The London-headquartered strategy consultancy has been serving clients in the Middle East for decades (L.E.K. Consulting has been around since 1983), but has in recent years been stepping up its regional presence to meet growing demand for its expertise.

In 2022, L.E.K. Consulting established an office in Abu Dhabi, from where it serves clients across the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait. Now, the firm has also established a second office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“Our business in the Gulf region has grown over recent years, and demand for our strategic insight and sector expertise continues to increase in the region’s fast-developing economies,” said Clay Heskett, Global Managing Partner of L.E.K. Consulting.

“Accordingly, we are pleased to be enhancing our on-the-ground capabilities in Saudi Arabia, which will enable us to expand our offerings and operations to better serve clients in the Kingdom and bring to bear more of the deep sector expertise and experience for which we are known.”

L.E.K. Consulting works for clients across sectors, but in the GCC, the firm is particularly active in the healthcare, pharma and transport sectors, and most notably in the education scene – a sector in which the firm is regarded as a regional and global leader.

In Saudi Arabia for instance, L.E.K. Consulting assisted the government in developing a strategy to attract private investment to the local education landscape, and developed a regulatory framework for education service providers. “We have also supported numerous private education providers with market entry or expansion strategies in the region,” said Danish Faruqui, partner in the Education practice and General Manager of the Riyadh team.

Meanwhile, in its Abu Dhabi base, L.E.K. Consulting has expanded its team with senior and junior recruits, and established a cross-regional senior leadership team to oversee the further growth ambitions in the region.

“We look forward to working alongside current and new clients on their most important strategic and operational challenges,” said Ashwin Assomull, Global Head of L.E.K. Consulting’s Education practice.