SCCA participates in its first China Arbitration Week with seminars in Beijing and Shanghai

Published Date: 10/09/2023

Briefing developments in the Saudi arbitration environment

The Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) has concluded its first time participating in China Arbitration Week. SCCA held seminars in Beijing and Shanghai, and its delegation spoke at a number of other events held under the umbrella of the week, with the aim of informing the industry community about developments in the Saudi arbitration landscape and the evolution of SCCA activities to boost trade and investment between China and Saudi Arabia, as well as all of the Middle East and Africa, through the latest alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services.

In the same context, SCCA had signed a memorandum of understanding with the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) on the sidelines of its first participation in China Arbitration Week in order to strengthen international relationships with major, world-renowned arbitration centers.

In another step toward strengthening international relationships with major, world-renowned arbitration centers, the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) on the sidelines of China Arbitration Week. It was SCCA’s first time participating in the event, held September 4–8, 2023.

SCCA held its first seminar on September 7, in partnership with and hosted by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in China, titled “Saudi Arabia: The Safe Haven for International Arbitration.” It held its second symposium in Shanghai on 8 September, in cooperation with the Shanghai Arbitration Center, titled “Current and Future: The Development of Dispute Resolution in China and Saudi Arabia.” 

Both seminars featured remarks by CEO Dr. Hamed Bin Hassan Merah, SCCA Board Member Prof. Georges Affaki, and Chief of ADR Christian Alberti, along with top Chinese and international lawyers, experts, and arbitrators. 

The seminars presented the latest developments in the commercial arbitration and ADR system in Saudi Arabia. This included a summary of the findings of a study of Saudi case law on commercial arbitration, the extent of the Saudi judiciary’s support for arbitration, and its alignment with international best practices. In addition, Prof. Georges Affaki delivered a keynote on “The International Arbitrator’s Path to Arbitration in Saudi Arabia,” and there were two panel discussions that touched on many Chinese-Saudi commercial arbitration cases in contracting and the financial and banking sectors.

During the seminars, Dr. Merah said: “Those seminars and the active SCCA presence at China Arbitration Week in 2030 comes amid the growing volume of trade and investment between China and Saudi Arabia in particular and the Middle East in general. This makes the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration one of the most important options for resolving disputes related to these significant contracts and agreements because it combines a global outlook, compatibility with best practices, and complete independence with its roots in the region and its deep understanding of the particular nature of the region and how to earn trust there.” 

For his part, Prof. Affaki said that the SCCA events in Beijing and Shanghai clearly showed the obvious alignment between Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and China’s Belt and Road Initiative, in light of the political stability and economic strength that Saudi Arabia and China both enjoy. These conditions enhance investment partnership opportunities between the two countries in energy, industry, transportation, and other fields.

Prof. Affaki added: “This was the context of the signing of a cooperation memorandum between the main arbitration centers in both countries – the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration and the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Center – in keeping with the convergence of the two countries’ institutions and companies in joint ventures.” In this context, he called for reinforcing cooperation between the two centers for joint training, managing institutional arbitration procedures, and providing the best institutional arbitration and mediation services to Saudi and Chinese investors. 

Mr. Alberti also explained that “The number of enforcements of arbitral awards in Saudi Arabia are compelling and deliver a clear message in favor of arbitration. SCCA’s recent case study revealed a strict and consistent application of the annulment grounds found in Article 50(1) of the Saudi Arbitration Law.”

China Arbitration Week is a major annual gathering that brings together the countries of the world. It stands alongside other gatherings organized by major international institutions in the industry, such as London International Disputes Week, Paris Arbitration Week, Dubai Arbitration Week, and, newly on the scene, Riyadh International Disputes Week, the inaugural iteration of which SCCA has announced for March 2024. 

These events are held every year with a view to sharing knowledge and expertise among international arbitration centers, forging partnerships and closer cooperation, and introducing developments in the industry taking place in various countries and regions. 

SCCA’s participation in China Arbitration Week is among its international outreach efforts to introduce the world to the Saudi arbitration industry and its achievements, and to familiarize the international arbitration community with Saudi efforts to transform its judicial environment into a safe commercial arbitration venue. These efforts are part of the SCCA’s role as the country’s official representative in the field of arbitration locally and internationally.