Middle East

Appointment of arbitrators, Arbitrator Challenges, Counsel, Counsel conduct, Disclosure, Dubai, ICC, International arbitration, International Arbitration Procedures, MENA, Middle East, UAE, UAE Federal Arbitration Law, UNCITRAL Model Law, United Arab Emirates

(Dentons & Co, Dubai)/ /Leave a comment

Participants at this year’s Dubai Arbitration Week gathered for the ICC conference hosted by Al Tamimi & Co on 14 November 2018. The conference featured a lively roundtable discussion on the subject of “Arbitrator Disclosure – Local Flavour or International Standards?” chaired by Nadia Darwazeh. The panel comprised practitioners from across the MENA region and…

Africa, Arbitration, Middle East, Morocco, Third party funding

, (Afrique Advisors)/ /Leave a comment
Young ICCA

Third-party funding has become a subject of major discussion over the past few years. It is clear that third-party funding is here to stay, and thus the question today is not whether it is going to grow, but rather where the opportunities are likely to be. Third-party funding: Definition and objectives Third-party funding is an…

DIFC, Dubai, Enforcement, Middle East, Recognition and enforcement of arbitral award

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /1 Comment

On 15 May 2016, the UAE Ministry of Justice and the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Courts, the courts of the newly established common law free zone carved out of the heart of Abu Dhabi (see my previous reporting here), entered into a Memorandum of Understanding concerning cooperation in legal and judicial matters with immediate…

Arbitration Institutions and Rules, DIFC, Domestic Courts, Dubai, Enforcement, Middle East, UAE

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

According to a recent announcement (see the official DIAC website at https://www.dubaichamber.com/en/news/dubai-international-arbitration-centre-opens-an-office-in-difc), the Dubai International Arbitration Centre, widely known by its acronym as the “DIAC”, is set to open a branch in the Dubai International Financial Centre, in shorthand the “DIFC”. This anticipated move is no doubt a promotional exercise to address concerns that the…

DIFC, Maritime Arbitration, Middle East

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

On 18 April 2016, following earlier anticipation (see my blog here), the Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre, in shorthand “EMAC”, was finally established by virtue of a decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in his capacity as the Ruler of Dubai (see Decree No. 14 of 2016 establishing the Emirates Centre…

Arbitral Award, DIFC, Dubai, MENA, Middle East, Recognition and enforcement of arbitral award, UAE

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

In a recent ruling of the DIFC Court of Appeal (CA 007/2015 – DNB Bank ASA v. (1) Gulf Eyadah Corporation (2) Gulf Navigation Holdings PJSC, ruling of the DIFC Court of Appeal of 25 February 2016), Chief Justice Michael Hwang, Justice Sir David Steel and H.E. Justice Omar Al Muhairi took the opportunity to…

BIT, Costs in arbitral proceedings, Customary international law, Expropriation, Fair and Equitable Treatment, Free Trade Agreements, ICSID Arbitration, ICSID Convention, Investment Arbitration, Middle East, Treaty Interpretation, UAE, United States

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

This is Part II of a previous blog, discussing a recent Award dated 27 October 2015 rendered in ICSID Case No. ARB/11/33 – Adel A Hamadi Al Tamimi v. Sultanate of Oman and dismissing all claims against Oman (see Part I of the blog). By way of reminder, the claims brought in these ICSID proceedings…

Attribution, BIT, Costs in arbitral proceedings, Customary international law, Expropriation, Fair and Equitable Treatment, Free Trade Agreements, ICSID Arbitration, ICSID Convention, ILC Articles on State Responsibility, Investment Arbitration, Investment protection, Jurisdiction of the arbitral tribunal, Middle East, State Agency, UAE

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

By a Final Award dated 27 October 2015 (see ICSID Case No. ARB/11/33 – Adel A Hamadi Al Tamimi v. Sultanate of Oman), an international tribunal constituted under the International Convention for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), also commonly referred to as the Washington Convention, dismissed all claims brought by a US national against the…

DIFC, Dubai, MENA, Middle East, Recognition and enforcement of arbitral award, UAE, United Arab Emirates

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

A recent ruling of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Court of First Instance (see Case No. XX – (1) X1 (2) X2 v. (1) Y1 (2) Y2, ruling of the DIFC Court of First Instance of 29 July 2015) brings into relief the question as to whether the role of the DIFC Courts as…

Arbitration, Awards, DIFC, Dubai, Enforcement, ICC Arbitration, International arbitration, MENA, Middle East, New York Convention, Public Policy, Recognition and enforcement of arbitral award, Stay of Proceedings, UAE, Uncategorized, United Arab Emirates

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

By Order of 11 May 2015 (unpublished) in Case No. ARB 005/2014 – A v. B, Justice Sir David Steel of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Court of First Instance dismissed an application made by an award debtor to set aside an order granted by the DIFC Court on 8 January 2015 (unpublished) for…

Arbitral Award, Arbitration, DIFC, Enforcement, Middle East, Recognition and enforcement of arbitral award, UAE, United Arab Emirates

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

In a recent ruling of the DIFC Court of First Instance (CFI 043/2014 – DNB Bank ASA v. (1) Gulf Eyadah Corporation (2) Gulf Navigation Holding PJSC, ruling of the DIFC Court of First Instance of 2nd July 2015), H.E. Justice Ali Al Madhani, one of the UAE-national resident judges of the DIFC Courts, drew…

Arbitral Award, DIFC, Dubai, Enforcement, Final Award, MENA, Middle East, New York Convention, Public Policy, Recognition and enforcement of arbitral award, UAE, Uncategorized, United Arab Emirates

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

Attentive readers of this Blog will remember that the Court of Appeal of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) adopted a ruling in the latter half of last year confirming its status as a “host” or “intermediate” – or, in the Court’s own words, “conduit” – jurisdiction for the enforcement of domestic arbitration awards rendered…

Arab World, BIT, Middle East, New York Convention

(Covington & Burling LLP)/ /Leave a comment
ArbitralWomen

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and should not be regarded as representative of, or binding upon ArbitralWomen and/or the author’s law firm. Arbitration in the Arab World is a hot topic these days. Over the past few decades the Arab World has become a region at the forefront…

MENA, Middle East, Multilateral Investment Treaties, North America

(Herbert Smith Freehills LLP)/ /Leave a comment
Herbert Smith Freehills

The nation states of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have long been active participants in the world of international investment protection and arbitration. Pakistan was a signatory to one of the first ever Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs)1)BIT between Pakistan and Germany dated 25 November 1959. and of the estimated 2,750 BITs that exist today,…

Arbitration clause, Dubai, Enforcement of an arbitration clause, Middle East, UAE, Unilateral Clauses

(Herbert Smith Freehills)/ /Leave a comment
Herbert Smith Freehills

Dispute resolution provisions in banking and finance transaction documents in the UAE sometimes include a unilateral option provision which, where a dispute arises, purports to reserve to the contracting bank, investment fund or lender, the right to choose arbitration or litigation, or sometimes litigation in a different forum to the local courts. The rationale for…

Arbitration, Arbitration Institutions and Rules, DIFC, Dubai, Middle East, Uncategorized, United Arab Emirates

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

By virtue of a recent Decree (see Decree No. (47) of 2014 Reshuffling the Board of Trustees of the Dubai International Arbitration Center, issued in Dubai on 7 December 2014), HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai, has appointed Dr. Habib Al Mulla, founder of former Habib Al Mulla & Co,…

Arbitration, BIT, Canada, Foreign Investment Law, ICSID Arbitration, ICSID Convention, Investment Arbitration, Middle East, Uncategorized, United Arab Emirates

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

In an Award on Jurisdiction rendered earlier this year under the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (the “ICSID Convention”) in ICSID Case No. ARB/11/7 – National Gas S.A.E. v. Arab Republic of Egypt (a copy of which is electronically available on the official Investment Treaty Arbitration…

Arbitration, Arbitration Agreements, DIFC, Dispute, Dispute Resolution, Middle East, Uncategorized, United Arab Emirates

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

In a recent lecture at the DIFC Courts (see Lecture Series No. 5, Practice Direction providing for the wider enforcement of Court Judgments through DIFC-LCIA Arbitration Centre, 19 November 2014), Chief Justice Michael Hwang announced that the DIFC Court Practice Direction No. X of 2014 amending Practice Direction No. 2 of 2012 DIFC Courts’ Jurisdiction…

Appeal, Arbitration, Arbitration Awards, Awards, DIFC, Dubai, Enforcement, Middle East, Public Policy, Recognition and enforcement of arbitral award, Review on the merits, Uncategorized, United Arab Emirates

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /1 Comment

In a recent ruling of the DIFC Court of Appeal (see Case CA-005-2-14, ruling of the DIFC Court of Appeal of 3rd November 2014), Justice Sir David Steel affirmed the previous ruling of the DIFC Court of First Instance in Banyan Tree v. Meydan Group LLC (see Case No. ARB 003/2013 – Banyan Tree Corporate…

Arbitration, Arbitration Institutions and Rules, DIFC, Dispute Resolution, Dubai, International arbitration, Middle East, Seat of the arbitration, Uncategorized, United Arab Emirates

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

In an ambitious stride to become the leading maritime hub in the Middle East, the Emirate of Dubai is set to establish the Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre, which in shorthand will be known as “EMAC”. Plans for the anticipated establishment of the Centre have recently been announced by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the…

Arbitration, Arbitration Awards, DIFC, Dubai, Enforcement, Middle East, New York Convention, United Arab Emirates

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

In two recent rulings (see Case No. ARB 002/2013 – (1) X1, (2) X2 v. (1) Y1, (2) Y2, ruling of the DIFC Court of First Instance, undated, 2014; and Case No. ARB 003/2013 – Banyan Tree Corporate PTE LTD v. Meydan Group LLC, ruling of the DIFC Court of First Instance of 27 May…

Africa, Middle East

(Egyptian State Lawsuits Authority, Ministry of Justice and University of Geneva)/ /Leave a comment
YIAG

Arbitration, or tahkim, has long-standing religious and cultural roots in the Middle East. However, there are also a number of differences and tensions between the Western perception of arbitration and certain Islamic legal principles and traditions which form the cornerstone of many Middle Eastern States. As the Middle East becomes more prominent in the global…

Annulment, Appeal, Arbitration, Arbitration Institutions and Rules, Joinder, Middle East, Uncategorized, United Arab Emirates

(Blanke Arbitration LLC)/ /Leave a comment

In an encouraging ruling of earlier this year (see Case No. 249 of 2013 – Middle East Foundations LLC v. Meydan Group LLC (formerly Meydan LLC), Commercial Appeal, ruling of the Dubai Court of Appeal of 15 January 2014), the Dubai Court of Appeal confirmed the time extension provisions for rendering final awards under the…

Enforcement, ICSID Convention, Iraq, Middle East, New York Convention

(Armstrong Teasdale)/ /Leave a comment

Setting the scene Iraq currently ranks with Libya and Yemen amongst those recalcitrant Arab states that have thus far failed to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards of 1958 (the New York Convention or Convention). This state of affairs and the inadequacy of the country’s domestic and…