Cooperation with Jeddah Chamber to Host SCCA Western Regional Office
Published Date: 19/02/2023
The Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) has signed a cooperation agreement with the Jeddah Chamber to form a strategic partnership in service of the business sector in western Saudi Arabia and to make it easier for business owners to access the SCCA’s package of institutional dispute resolution solutions, thus facilitating the conduct of business and improving the commercial environment in the region.
The signing ceremony took place at the Jeddah Chamber headquarters in Jeddah Governorate. SCCA was represented at the signing ceremony by its CEO, Dr. Hamid Merah, while the Chamber was represented by its secretary general, Mr. Ramez Al Ghalib. The signing ceremony was attended by SCCA Chairman Dr. Walid Abanumay and the Chamber Deputy Chairman, Khalaf Al Otaibi, as a delegate of the chairman, as well as several board members and executives from both organizations.
The agreement provides for the Chamber to host SCCA western regional office in its building in Jeddah, putting SCCA into close contact with the business community in the region. The Chamber’s conference rooms will be available for holding commercial arbitration and commercial mediation sessions in SCCA-administered cases and any other case in which SCCA provides services.
Under the agreement, SCCA will provide technical support in the drafting of dispute resolution clauses for business establishments’ and Chamber members’ contracts, thus making institutional arbitration and institutional mediation clauses a feature of more business contracts in the western region. In addition, parties and arbitrators in ad hoc arbitration will be able to benefit from the quality services offered by SCCA in this context, and it will be possible to flexibly refer cases of this type to institutional arbitration.
The two organizations will cooperate in holding specialized training programs, with the Chamber hosting and promoting training programs organized by SCCA, as well as in raising awareness of alternative dispute resolution through joint educational campaigns on social media and various publishing channels.
SCCA Chairman Dr. Abanumay said that the inauguration of SCCA office in Jeddah is a continuation of efforts to strengthen SCCA relationships with the Saudi business community, especially the business community in the western region. It will enhance its role in supporting businesses by offering a package of institutional dispute resolution solutions, such as arbitration and mediation, that meet the needs of business owners and are aligned with international best practices, thus enhancing the attractiveness of Jeddah and the region as a place to invest.
Jeddah Chamber Chairman Mohammed Naghi said one of the strategic objectives that the Chamber’s Board of Directors hopes to achieve in its 22nd session is to make strategic partnerships with organizations and programs relevant to the Chamber’s work. The cooperation agreement with SCCA relates to that objective, as it aims to facilitate business sector access to the institutional form of alternative dispute resolution, thus helping to promote the western region and Jeddah Governorate as an ideal destination for doing business.