SCCA organized the State and Future of Institutional Arbitration Forum which took place on the week of the opening of the SCCA.

The most important advantages of institutional arbitration are the availability of pre-established rules and procedures which ensure the arbitration proceedings are conducted in a timely manner, the administrative assistance from the institution, and the availability of a list of qualified arbitrators.

Institutional arbitration saves parties and their lawyers the effort of determining the arbitration procedure and of drafting an arbitration clause, which is provided by the institution. Once the parties have selected an institution, they can incorporate that institution’s draft clause into their contract.

The forum discussed the state and prospective future of institutional arbitration, the challenges it is facing and the opportunities it can benefit from. 

Objectives of the Forum

The establishment of the SCCA could be considered a major step in supporting institutional arbitration in the Kingdom. In order to achieve its goals, SCCA should start from the point the other ADR institutions reached. It is of great importance to benefit from others’ experiences and to consider the current practices, difficulties, challenges and opportunities.  The objectives of the forum were as follows:

1. Examine the current situation of arbitration industry locally and internationally and explore any challenges and/or opportunities and Comparing the practice of AD HOC and institutional arbitration in the Kingdom and exploring the add value that institutional arbitration can offer to the industry.
2. Discuss arbitration case management best practices and how to conduct procedure in a cost effective manner.
3. Capacity building priorities in the field of arbitration.
4. Local culture and practices and the approaches to be responsive to such culture.
5. Policies for encouraging and promoting business access to ADR process.