The GCC Commercial Arbitration Centre celebrated its 30th anniversary, established by the rulers of the Gulf States. The event, attended by more than 500 legal figures from the Gulf, Arab, and international communities, was led by Sheikh Khalid Al Khalifah on behalf of the event’s patron, Prince Salman bin Hamad, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Khaled Al-Senaidi, the Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Development Affairs at the General Secretariat of the GCC, along with Saleh Al Sharqi, Chairman of the Board, and Dr. Kamal Al Hamad, Secretary-General, delivered important speeches about the center’s history and its significance.
Dr. Al Hamad emphasized the center’s vision, focusing on Gulf arbitrators and experts, and highlighted its achievements through various conferences, seminars, and workshops aimed at advancing judiciary and arbitration in the GCC countries. These efforts promote arbitration as a unique system for resolving commercial disputes, enhancing foreign investments, and spreading the culture of arbitration regionally and internationally.
The Advisory board of the GCC Commercial Arbitration Centre includes prominent international legal figures such as Mr. Steven A. Hammond, Past President of the Union Internationale des Avocats, USA; Brandon James Malone, Member of the ICC UK Committee since 2015, UK; Dr. Xavier Favre-Bulle, Member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, Switzerland; Dr. Sami Al Houerbi, Founder and President of Africa Arbitration Forum, Tunisia; Georges Feghali, World Bank Group Regional Mediator for MENA since 2011, Lebanon; and Dr. Bassam Talhouni, Minister of Justice four times, Jordan.
I am also pleased to announce the launch of several programs and initiatives, including the unveiling of the center’s new identity, the announcement of the Gulf Arbitrator Day initiative, and the first-of-its-kind event, the Gulf International Arbitration and Law Week.
The Arbitration Centre, representing significant international presence for the Gulf countries in key economic sectors such as energy, oil and gas, tourism, sports, and entertainment, deserves a global position reflecting the political and economic weight of the GCC countries.