Months after forming an alliance with local firm Hammad, Al Mehdar & Co, Simmons & Simmons has further demonstrated its commitment to the Saudi Arabia market by hiring Islamic finance expert Ahmed Butt from Hogan Lovells.

Butt, who joined Simmons & Simmons’ Middle East financial markets practice to focus on the Saudi Arabian market, was a founding member of the Islamic finance team at Hogan Lovells’ Dubai office. He had previously worked for international law firms in London and Dubai, apart from spending a period on secondment with Standard Chartered Bank as legal counsel.

“I am delighted to welcome Ahmed to our team,” said Simmons & Simmons’ Middle East financial markets partner Muneer Khan. “Ahmed is a highly regarded banking and finance lawyer and Islamic finance specialist and his addition to our team strengthens our Saudi Arabian and Middle East regional offering.”

Butt brings with him extensive experience in advising lead bank arrangers on complex structured syndicated financings with cross-border security. His primary specialty is Sharia-compliant syndications in the Middle East, Turkey, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.ALB