GCC Edition of SCCA Arabic Moot delivers regional and national impact with high-profile international partnerships

Following seven months of diligent hard work, perseverance, and research, the second edition of the SCCA Arabic Moot concluded on Thursday, 8 April 2021, with a closing ceremony and the presentation of prizes.

In organizing the SCCA Arabic Moot with its international partners, SCCA equips students from Shariah and law schools with practical and personal skills in the field of international commercial arbitration consistent with international standards. This year’s edition of the competition involved 294 students competing on 54 teams from the Shariah and law schools of 36 universities located in 26 cities from across the members states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (“GCC”). Over 90 faculty members and coaches with practical experience in the arbitration industry and in related international competitions supervised the teams.

During the final 'oral proceedings’ stage of the Competition, students argued before seasoned professional arbitral tribunals in 83 arbitration hearings over five days. Those tribunals comprised 124 top international arbitrators and experts from more than nine Arab and European countries. The King Faisal University women's team took first place in the competition, and the King Abdulaziz University women’s team placed second.

The closing ceremony was held at the SCCA regional offices in Jeddah, with remarks by Dr. Walid Abanumay, chairman of the SCCA Board of Directors; Ms. Anna Joubin-Bret, secretary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL); Ms. Catherine Dixon, director general of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb); and Ms. Mais Abousy of the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP). SCCA CEO Dr. Hamed Merah capped the ceremony with a speech, and SCCA Professional Development Manager Mr. Munif Bajamil then announced the winners of the prizes and plaques.

The SCCA Arabic Moot is a vital initiative of the SCCA’s efforts to improve the environment and upgrade the practice of arbitration – in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in particular and the Gulf region and the Middle East in general – by actively contributing to the development of young arbitrators while benefiting as much as possible from the expertise of international arbitrators.

The SCCA Arabic Moot is made possible by SCCA's international partnership with UNCITRAL and CLDP, a program of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The competition took place in a series of stages and events, including remote training courses for the faculty members supervising the participating teams, as well as two specialized training programs for all the students on the participating teams to gain practical skills consistent with international best practices and enable them to research and learn about relevant laws, regulations, and how to apply them. In the training programs, the students worked to prepare legal memoranda for the claimant and the respondent. The programs also aimed to improve the students’ competitiveness in the job market.

Winning Teams:

First Place: King Faisal University women’s team

Second Place: King Abdulaziz University women’s team

Top 10

I. Best Respondent Memo

1. King Abdulaziz University men’s team
2. University of Business and Technology women’s team
3. Arab East Colleges women’s team
4. Kuwait University men’s team
5. Prince Sultan University men’s team
6. Qassim University women’s team
7. King Saud University men's team
8. Ajman University men’s team
9. Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University women’s team
10. Majmaah University men’s team

II. Best Claimant Memo

1. Kuwait University men’s team
2. Prince Sultan University men’s team
3. University of Business and Technology women’s team
4. Prince Sultan University women’s team
5. King Abdulaziz University at Rabigh men’s team
6. King Abdulaziz University men’s team
7. Kuwait International Law School men’s team
8. Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University women’s team
9. Qassim University women’s team
10. Dar Al-Hekma University women's team

III. Best Respondent Oralist

1. Mariam Abdul Salam Rafai, Ajman University
2. Bushra Obaid Mohammad Mansouri, Umm Al Quwain University
3. Jowan Issam Milyani, Dar Al-Hekma University
4. Anoud Ali Ais, Umm Al Quwain University
5. Shahd Shukri Al-Bakri, Prince Sultan University
6. Mohammad bin Said Al-Ghamdi, Umm Al-Qura University
7. Yumna Yasir Jawharji, Dar Al-Hekma University
8. Ahmed bin Abdulrahman Al-Ansari, Umm Al-Qura University
9. Ayoub Salem Rumani, King Abdulaziz University at Rabigh
10. Sarah Tareq Al-Haimi, University of Jeddah

IV. Best Claimant Oralist

1. Abdul Rahman Omar Baqais, King Abdulaziz University
2. Shahd Shukri Al-Bakri, Prince Sultan University
3.  Ayoub Salem Rumani, King Abdulaziz University at Rabigh
4. Fatimah Mohammad Al-Ashri, Prince Sultan University
5. Maisaa Ashraf Al-Qurashi, Arab East Colleges
6. Zainab Ali Al-Ahmed, Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University
7. Abdullah bin Ali bin Hassan Al Mohammad, King Khalid University
8. Israa Abdul Nasser Kalbon, Ajman University
9. Al-Muthanna bin Rashed bin Saif Al-Shidi, Sultan Qaboos University
10. Amal bint Rashed bin Mohammad Al-Harrasi, Sultan Qaboos University

The competition concluded with the presentation of plaques to:

• The winning team
• The top three teams in Best Claimant Memo;
• The top three teams in Best Respondent Memo;
• The top three finishers in Best Claimant Oralist;
• The top three finishers in Best Respondent Oralist;
• In addition, 16 students were offered free seats in the SCCA-CIArb International Fellowship Program in Commercial Arbitration.