SCCA webinar with Ministry of Sport highlights the role of ADR in the development of the sport sector

Published Date: 01/09/2021

In an effort to raise awareness of alternative dispute resolution in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) organized a webinar in partnership with the Ministry of Sport on “ADR and its Impact in the Sport Sector.” The webinar, held on 31 August 2021, targeted Olympic committees, sport federations, sport clubs, companies that invest in sport, and the legal, contract, and investment departments within the Ministry.

The webinar featured remarks from Dr. Hamid Bin Hassan Merah, the CEO of SCCA; Mr. Feras Bin Abdullah Al-Rubaie, deputy director general of the General Administration for Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Sport; and Dr. Emad Eddien Hussein, an expert in international commercial arbitration and mediation. The webinar aimed to enhance the investment environment in the sport sector and to highlight the usefulness of ADR for resolving contract disputes related to sponsorship, investments, and promotion and advertising.

During the webinar, Dr. Merah said that ADR services such as arbitration and mediation are a crucial factor in facilitating business and creating an attractive environment for foreign and local investment, especially in a dynamic sector such as sport. He added that the advantages of institutional arbitration include access to justice in commercial disputes, the availability of a roster of specialized arbitrators, institutional rules that promote neutrality and independence, and the assistance of an experienced team to oversee the implementation of those rules at an arbitration center such as SCCA.

Mr. Al-Rubaie said that the Saudi sport sector has taken on a broader scope thanks to Vision 2030, which has turned Saudi Arabia into a host for the most important major sporting events. This makes it essential to get a handle on the specialized, international nature of such projects and strengthen the legal foundations for them.

Dr. Hussein said that the existence of an institutional channel for resolving sport disputes is a necessary tool for activating the role of the sport sector in the Saudi national economy and achieving economic goals in the context of Vision 2030 because it will help maintain contractual relationships among investors, clubs, and various partners in the sector.