Addleshaw Goddard advised Cognita on Gulf expansion
The global law firm, Addleshaw Goddard, advised Cognita Limited on its strategic expansion in the Middle East through partnerships with five premium schools across Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Oman. This expansion marks Cognita’s simultaneous entry into three new countries and increases the number of schools it operates in the Middle East to 14.
The schools include King’s College Doha in Qatar; King’s College Riyadh and Downe House Riyadh in Saudi Arabia; and Downe House Muscat and Cheltenham Muscat in Oman. Together, they join Cognita’s international network of more than 100 schools in 20 countries, educating over 100,000 students worldwide.
Commenting on the transaction, Lowri Llwyd stated, “We are delighted to have supported Cognita on this landmark transaction, which not only represents a milestone in their global growth story but also reflects the increasing demand for world-class education across the Gulf. Managing a cross-border process of this complexity required close collaboration across our regional offices, and it has been a privilege to bring our expertise to bear on such a significant step for our client. As ever, it was fantastic to work closely with the Cognita team and help deliver such a great transaction.”
This mandate builds on Addleshaw Goddard’s track record of advising on high-profile education sector transactions across the Middle East, reinforcing its position as a leading adviser to global operators expanding in the region.
The Addleshaw Goddard team in the UAE led the transaction, supported by its offices in Oman and Saudi Arabia and counsel in Qatar. The cross-practice team was led by Lowri Llwyd (Partner, Head of Corporate UAE) and James Whittam (Corporate, UAE), alongside deal teams in the firm’s Oman and KSA offices and counsel in Qatar.
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