International Arbitration in the Middle East: Developments and Challenges

Dentons’ Middle East Dispute Resolution team recently gathered a group of experts in New York to discuss recent developments and challenges in international arbitration in the Middle East. We discussed the adoption of arbitration legislation across the Arabian Gulf and broader Middle East, and recent court decisions upholding and recognizing foreign arbitral awards. The discussion also focused on how recent court decisions and legislation have fostered an environment of predictability and legal certainty for foreign investors doing business in the region.

I am pleased to report a positive outcome for the event, with participants joining by webinar from Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Muscat, Riyadh and Washington, DC. I would like to thank the SCCA for helping to host the event and for their assistance in putting together a successful program.

Lawyers, judges and arbitrators joining the panel from Dubai, Riyadh and New York commented on the deep roots of arbitration within Middle Eastern culture and Islamic law, which encourages parties to peacefully resolve their disputes through mediation. Investors seeking a more streamlined method of resolving their disputes can now rest assured that Saudi Arabia and the broader GCC are taking international arbitration very seriously through new legislation and institutional reform. 

The successful event will be followed up with a second event in Riyadh as well as the publication of a series of articles discussing dispute resolution in the Middle East, to be published by the Kluwer Arbitration Blog.

Visit Dentons’ website to read the full press release.