Saudi Center For Commercial Arbitration Announces New Board Reconstitution To Enhance Services

The Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) has announced a royal decree to reconstitute its Board of Directors for the fourth term. This new board, which includes both international and Saudi experts in alternative dispute resolution, will serve until February 2028. The board comprises members with diverse expertise in arbitration, law, and various business sectors, enhancing the quality of services provided to the business community.

Walid Abanumay will lead the newly formed board as chairman, with Toby Landau from the United Kingdom serving as vice chairman. Other notable members include Prof. Georges Affaki from France, Abby Cohen Smutny from the United States, and Dr. Mohamed Abdel Raouf from Egypt. Additionally, Dr. Saud Al-Ammari, Abdulaziz Mohammed Al-Subaie, Dr. Abdullah Alajlan, and Musaab Al Muhaidib from Saudi Arabia are part of the board.

The board acts as the highest authority overseeing SCCA's affairs but does not manage arbitration cases directly. It is responsible for approving strategies, policies, internal regulations, and procedural rules while maintaining independence from case management. Members operate independently without holding governmental positions.

SCCA CEO Dr. Hamed bin Hassah Merah highlighted that the inclusion of high-level international competencies in the board will significantly aid in achieving SCCA's objectives locally and internationally. The committee will enrich SCCA with best practices globally and monitor industry trends to propose improvements in procedural rules and services.

SCCA has also restructured its advisory committee for rules into a Global Advisory Committee comprising 16 esteemed international arbitration experts. This committee includes independent arbitrators, legal consultants from prominent arbitration centers, lawyers from local and foreign firms, and law professors from various universities worldwide.

The Global Advisory Committee's responsibilities include providing technical advice to SCCA to enhance operations and services continually. It will issue guidance for improving SCCA's rules and procedures while monitoring global trends in arbitration to introduce new services or review existing ones.

Vision for Future Growth

Abanumay expressed gratitude to Saudi leadership for their support of SCCA's activities. He stated that this new formation empowers SCCA to achieve its ambitious vision of becoming the preferred choice for alternative dispute resolution in the Middle East and North Africa by 2030.

"The board performs a supervisory role over the SCCA's activities without interfering in case management," Abanumay said. "Meanwhile, arbitration bodies resolve disputes independently without instructions from the board." He also noted that the SCCA Court addresses technical aspects related to arbitration cases independently.

Under this new leadership structure, SCCA aims to develop its operations further and elevate its services according to international best practices. This approach caters to businesses across various sectors while ensuring independence and neutrality within its operational framework.

With inputs from SPA