Developments in Qatar’s arbitration laws have contributed to the economic growth of the country, helping it become attractive to foreign investments, according to a senior official of the Qatar International Centre for Conciliation and Arbitration (Qicca).
Sheikh Dr Thani bin Ali al-Thani, who is board member of both the ICC Arbitration Court and of Qicca for International Relations, the centre has succeeded in the settlement of a large number of commercial disputes in various areas and sectors since its inception 12 year ago.
“There is no doubt that the issuance of the Civil and Commercial Arbitration Law in 2017 has enhanced the role of commercial arbitration as an alternative method to resolve dispute. The law represented a great stride on the arbitration field as one of the best arbitration laws in the region,” Sheikh Thani said in the latest issue of Al Moltaqa, Qatar Chamber’s monthly economic publication.
According to Sheikh Thani, the centre has made “great efforts” to disseminate the culture of commercial arbitration among business sectors in Qatar “on the basis of Qicca’s conviction in the role of arbitration in enhancing the confidence of investors in Qatar’s economy and boosting investment climate.”
“Indeed, arbitration keeps pace with the economic boom Qatar witnesses, which has become attractive for foreign investments. This has led to establishing an alternative method for settling commercial disputes that reduces the duration of litigation,” he stressed.
To spread the arbitration culture as part of Qicca’s vision, Sheikh Thani said the centre “actively sought” to qualify a number of arbitrators who are capable of settling commercial, engineering, financial, and banking disputes and other kinds of economic fields.
“In that context, the centre has launched a few years ago the professional programme for training and qualifying arbitrators, which covers all aspects of commercial arbitration. The programme deals with the concept and essence of arbitration and its nature and
types. It provides participants with legal knowledge at the scientific and practical levels.
“Qualified arbitrators are listed in Qicca’s roster with a view registering them in the Ministry of Justice to settle commercial, financial, and business-related disputes. The programme has contributed to increasing the number of Qatari qualified arbitrators who have the competence to settle commercial disputes arising from commercial contracts,” Sheikh Thani pointed out.
Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani said the chamber established Qicca in 2006 through a board resolution as part of its interest to create an “efficient” and “swift mechanism” to settle disputes between Qatari enterprises or between national companies and their foreign counterparts.
He said Qicca seeks to follow the most recent trends in organising conciliation and arbitration procedures through its adoption of the model rules prepared by the UN Commission for International Trade Law (Uncitral) as revised in 2010.
Sheikh Khalifa said Qicca also recommends to its members the use of some model clauses for conciliation and/or arbitration in their national or international contracts.
The centre maintains lists of conciliators, arbitrators, and experts of international reputation in different areas in order to choose from such lists by the interested parties, he added.
Sheikh Thani also said: “I hope that the business sector would benefit from Qatari arbitrators and events organised by the centre in order to achieve our goals in developing the arbitration system and achieving Qatar National Vision 2030 under the wise leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.”
