Sharjah International Commercial Arbitration Center To Host 8th Meeting Of Lawyers’ And Legal Consultancy Offices In GCC In December 2010

Event aims to highlight the role of legal security in increasing investments and economic activity in Middle East

The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) hosted a press conference to discuss the 8th meeting of lawyers’ and legal consultancy offices in GCC which will be held between 14 and 15 December 2010 by the Sharjah International Commercial Arbitration Centre (SICAC), a dispute resolution body operating under the SCCI, in coordination with the International Commercial Arbitration Centre for the GCC and the UAE Jurists’ Association.

The conference witnessed the attendance of H.E Hussein Mohammed Al Mahmoudi, Director-General, SCCI; Ahmed Saleh Al Ajala, Deputy Director of Sharjah International Commercial Arbitration Centre; Sha’ban Ra’fat Abdul Latif, Legal Affairs representative, SCCI;.Ahmed Najem Abdullah Al Najem, General Secretary, International Commercial Arbitration Centre for the GCC; Naser Al Makhawi, Director, International Commercial Arbitration Centre for the GCC; Mohammed Rashid Bin Jabr Al Suwaidi, President of Lawer Committee, UAE Jurists’ Association.

During the meeting, a special organizing committee was appointed by the SCCI to help organize and handle the important details of the conference. The event, which aims to highlight the vital role of legal security in attracting more investment opportunities and bolstering economic activity, is part of the SCCI’s strategic initiatives to help package the emirate as an ideal tourism and investment destination in the Middle East region.

Organizing the event reflects the chamber’s commitment to promote the vision and initiatives of the SICAC promoting the adoption of arbitration as an effective approach to solving disputes by providing speedy yet sound solutions; and flexible handling of procedures and services at lowered costs. SICAC’s aim to provide its services to SCCI member enterprises and companies, individuals, organizations and other commercial and investment companies, complements the ongoing efforts towards Sharjah’s economic development and bringing it one step closer to its goal of achieving total sustainable development.

Hussein Al Mahmoudi said, “The SCCI is pleased to announce that it will be hosting the 8th meeting of lawyers’ and legal consultancy offices in GCC. The event reflects the chamber’s continued commitment to work closely with the legal sector, which is one of the most vital sectors in the drive to bolster growth at all levels. The event, which is being held in cooperation with SICAC, falls in line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to provide investors with a safe and secure investment environment that can meet both short and long term requirements. The SCCI understands the important role that legal security plays in the move to attract more investment opportunities and increase economic development in Sharjah and the rest of the Gulf region.”

The 8th meeting of lawyers’ and legal consultancy offices in GCC is scheduled to be held in mid-December this year and will be attended by lawyers, arbiters and representatives of various legal offices in the private and public sector. The conference acts as a strategic venue to discuss key issues and topics and develop strategies, initiatives and programs that can help advance the region’s legal sector. The event also promotes the introduction and adoption of best practices in law offices as a means to create more career opportunities and to reach a unified and integrated framework based on the highest standards of quality and excellence for both public and private legal offices in the Middle East region.

“The SCCI is hopeful that the 8th meeting of lawyers’ and legal consultancy offices in GCC will be able to come up with a comprehensive and more dynamic working mechanism that can upgrade the services of the region’s various law and legal consultation offices. The chamber’s move to host and organize the event also complements our thrust to promote the culture of arbitration as an effective means to settle labor and commercial disputes faster and at a reduced cost. The SCCI affirms its support towards organizing events that aim to attract business and investment opportunities into Sharjah and the UAE and promote stronger working ties between the public and private sector to help Sharjah reach its goal of attaining total sustainable development”, Al Mahmoudi added.

Ahmed Al Najem said, “This event comes as a complement to the successful previous meetings and is in line with the international trade law. It is also a new scientific and professional addition to organize and enhance the legal sector in the GCC which is an attractive international destination for investments and a global and regional hub for dispute settlement.”

“We are pleased that the conference starts in Sharjah under the patronage of the SCCI which is one of the leading government entities in the Emirate. The event has a vital role as it focuses on main topics related to the integration between the government deparments and agencies in the GCC with the participation of some o the prominent speakers from the region who shared their visions and experience in developing the law sector.

The 8th meeting comes as a big step to keep pace with the global developments especially with the increase of global and regional competitiveness in the domain of contracts, tenders and the settlement of disputes within trade, industry, construction and legal advisory offices sectors in the GCC. This event aims to enable the workforce in legal, business and other sectors to activate its participation in the development of the infrastructure to support the economic growth in the GCC.

Mohammed Rashid Bin Jabr Al Suwaidi pointed out that the 8th meeting targets promoting awareness in the best practices adopted in the field of commercial arbitration. UAE Jurists’ Association aims to encourage its members to attend this leading event especially that the UAE is hosting it for its privilege of hosting such gulf meetings for the second time.

In his speech, Ahmed Saleh Al Ajala said that the participant in the 8th meeting share the same vision and objectives. In this regard, we are looking for further collaboration with the commercial arbitration’s entities and stakeholders for the benefit of law sector, which in turn will help in enhancing the confidence in the investment environment.

During the event, Ahmed Saleh Al Ajala and Ahmed Al Najem signed a memorandum of understanding between the Sharjah International Commercial Arbitration Centre and the International Commercial Arbitration Centre for the GCC aiming to promote collaboration to raise awareness in the arbitration culture and the effective alternatives to resolve disputes, provide the arbitration services, arrange the necessary facilities for success of the arbitration proceedings, facilitate the exchange of information and experiences in training and commercial arbitration. 

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