The Committee on International Arbitration, co-chaired by Floriane Lavaud and Daniel Reich, and Committee on International Investment Law, co-chaired by David Attanasio and Diora Ziyaeva, co-sponsored a webinar titled Recent Arbitration-Related Developments in the Middle East on February 1, 2022 with Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, the International Court of Arbitration, and Al-Ansari & Associates.

Companies in the Middle East increasingly resort to arbitration to resolve their commercial disputes in various sectors, including energy, telecommunications, and infrastructure. The panelists discussed key changes to national laws and enforcement of arbitral awards, considered the role of arbitral institutions and the selection of arbitrators, and offered their perspectives on how to improve the arbitration process in the region.

Speakers included Salman Al-Ansari, Partner, Al-Ansari & Associates; Alexander Fessas, Secretary General, International Court of Arbitration of the ICC; Lara Hammoud, Senior Legal Counsel, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Arbitrator; Firas Oggar, Group Head of Legal, Zain Group; and Floriane Lavaud, Counsel (Moderator), Debevoise & Plimpton and Co-Chair, ABILA International Arbitration Committee.

The Committee is planning to organize two additional webinars this year as part of its regional series, with one focused on Europe and the other on Central Asia. It is also planning an in-person event in Washington, D.C. for the fall.