Dubai Training Contract

Trainee Opportunities

Completing your training at Covington provides the responsibility and opportunity of a close-knit office, combined with the resources and prestige of a leading international firm. In our Dubai office, you will become an integral member of the team, trusted with meaningful work early on and supported to grow through hands-on experience.

Over the course of your four-seat training period, you will have the opportunity to work on transactional, contentious, and advisory matters. This may include infrastructure development, project acquisition and finance, mergers and acquisitions, sector-specific regulatory work, policy matters with our regulatory advisors, and investigations and disputes with our white collar and litigation teams.

Your Training

You will train to become an England and Wales qualified solicitor and will participate in training and development prior to joining the firm and throughout your two year training period.

At Covington, trainees benefit from a carefully tailored programme. Each trainee is supervised by two lawyers who ensure they are exposed to meaningful work in a supportive environment.

Trainees complete four six-month seats during their training period across our Project Development and Finance, White Collar Investigations and Disputes, Corporate and Public Policy and Regulatory practice groups. It is expected you will undertake one seat in the London office, within one of our contentious, transactional or regulatory practices.

What We Are Looking For

• To apply for a Trainee position in Dubai, candidates must meet the following requirements:
• Hold a 2:1 degree (or equivalent), with a strong academic record (ABB at A Level).
• Fluency in written and spoken Arabic is an advantage but not essential.
• Candidates must have completed the Solicitor Qualifying Examination (SQE) or the Legal Practicing Course (LPC) and be able to start with the firm in September 2026.
• We are looking for applicants with strong ties to the Middle East and a genuine interest in and commitment to pursuing a career in law in the Middle East region.

Applicants for our Dubai Trainee positions will be assessed via our Winter Vacation Scheme in London in December 2025. Over the course of our two week Vacation Schemes students can become integrated into the collaborative culture at Covington, gaining exposure and insight to both the London and Dubai office. Students are paid £600 per week.