The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) has announced the launch of the International Fellowship Programme in Commercial Arbitration by Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA).

A first for KSA
The training programme is is the first of its kind in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and will be conducted in partnership with CIArb. Through this partnership, CIArb will share its over 100 years of experience in dispute resolution services with the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration. Successful completion of the Pathway Programme will allow participants to apply for membership in CIArb and join the elite of international arbitrators. Programme participants can apply to join CIArb at the grade of associate, member, or fellow depending on their level of completion within the programme. CIArb membership is accepted in more than 36 countries around the world. The programme consists of three educational modules, starting with legal principles, process, practice and procedure in Module I. Module II will be on the law of obligations, followed by Module III on evidence, decision making, and award writing. All the modules are based on the international systems and regulations observed in the institutional arbitration industry, most importantly the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law and Arbitration Rules, as well as regional arbitration law.

Best practices
Anthony Abrahams, CIArb director general, commented “We are delighted to start this partnership with Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration and to launch the CIArb Pathway Programme in Riyadh. Through such international partnerships, CIArb seeks to promote greater understanding and use of dispute avoidance, management and resolution methods globally. We are pleased to share our knowledge and expertise and deliver a world-class programme which will be the first course of its kind in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” Marking the occasion, Yassin Khayyat, SCCA Chairman, said “SCCA’s launch of the International Fellowship in Commercial Arbitration originates in the center’s role in training commercial arbitration practitioners in the Kingdom and supporting the job market with personnel qualified to provide ADR services, thus ensuring the development of the local investment environment and facilitating commercial activity in the Kingdom.” SCCA ceo Dr Hamed Merah explained that the Pathway will be provided in the Kingdom on two parallel tracks, one in Arabic and the other in English, and in three successive modules ensuring that participants acquire the necessary knowledge to practice commercial arbitration in accordance with the best international systems and practices.”