30-03-2021
The Qatar International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration (QICCA) at Qatar Chamber organised a webinar entitled ‘Features of Arbitration in the Arab World’ on the third day of its ‘Legal Week’ on Tuesday. The ‘Legal Week’ will run till Thursday.
The webinar touched on the challenges facing remote arbitration during the COVID-19 pandemic, the arbitration agreement, and the proceedings of arbitration institutions, as well as the international judiciary during the crisis and Arab arbitration and foreign investment.
QICCA Assistant Secretary-General Ibrahim Shahbeek moderated the webinar.
Addressing the webinar, QICCA Board Member for International Relations Sheikh Thani bin Ali Al Thani said that on the heels of the spread of COVID-19, some international arbitration centres and law firms have issued many regulations and guidelines for remote arbitration throughout the use of modern technologies and communication platforms.
He added that QICCA depended on modern technologies, especially after the pandemic, noting that since March 2020, the centre has received a number of electronic arbitration requests, and issued 20 arbitration awards.
On his part, Abdel Basset Abdel Wase, professor of commercial law at Saba University reviewed COVID-19 and the arbitration agreement, noting that despite the COVID-19 pandemic preventing the meeting of arbitration committees and tribunals, it has a positive impact on the arbitration system.
He noted that the crisis proved that arbitration could adapt to circumstances and challenges, indicating that the pandemic resulted in increasing the number of cases referred to arbitration centres.
In turn, professor of commercial law and arbitration at Saba University Yousef Al-Sulaili talked about Arabic arbitration and foreign investment, noting that Arab countries always strive to improve their legislative environments and find systems that contribute to attracting foreign investments.
He also added that Arab countries have been keen to introduce arbitration as a mechanism for settling commercial disputes and have issued laws in this regard.
Lawyer Ahmed Al Werfalli delivered a presentation about the arbitration dispute on the occasion.
