Sheikh Dr Thani bin Ali Al Thani, QICCA Board Member for International Relations during the webinar recently.
Doha: Qatar Chamber’s Qatar International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration (QICCA) has issued as many as 77 arbitration awards and 11 mediation cases between 2018 and 2020, QICCA Board Member for International Relations Sheikh Dr Thani bin Ali Al Thani has said at a webinar organised by the Kuwaiti Arbitration Association on Saturday.
Speaking during the event, Sheikh Thani added that the State of Qatar is witnessing a great boom in arbitration field, especially with the issuance of the Civil and Commercial Arbitration Law.
He reiterated that alternative means for solving disputes such as arbitration and mediation have become the best option in settling commercial disputes, especially in light of the mega projects being implemented for the development of the State’s infrastructure or for the preparations of hosting the World Cup 2022.
He added that companies in GCC states enjoy various options when resorting to arbitration, whether through national arbitration centers, the GCC Arbitration Center, or ICC Arbitration Court.
The webinar, which was presided over by Ghada Al Mujalham, Board Member for International Relations at the Kuwaiti Arbitration Association, was aimed at introducing the roles and objectives of QICCA.
Asked about the duration taken by QICCA to settle a dispute, Sheikh Thani said that it depends on the cooperation between parties, stating that it takes six months to a maximum of a year in case of cooperation of parties.
He added that QICCA has signed 16 agreements with GCC, Arab and foreign arbitration centers. Due to the precautionary measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the center has also adopted electronic arbitration, where it has received many requests for online arbitration and issued 20 arbitration awards during the precautionary measures relating to the pandemic.
Outlining the roles played by QICCA, Sheikh Thani indicated that it plays several roles in the dissemination of arbitration culture among companies in Qatar and organising introductory seminars and conferences on arbitration, as well as preparation of arbitrators and holding training programmes for legal students at Qatar University.
Sheikh Thani invited participants of the webinar and legal researchers to participate in the upcoming publication of Qatar Chamber’s Al Multaqa Magazine, which will be a special issue for arbitration and includes articles and materials relating to arbitration, trade, investment and contracts.
