Saudi- JCCI sets programs for commercial arbitrators 

(MENAFN - Arab News) The GCC Commercial Arbitration Center, with the cooperation of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, concluded their first pre-trial phase of developing arbitrators in a new ensemble for 2013 recently.

The four-day training program at JCCI acted as a stepping stone and bridged the gaps between the center and the Chamber of Commerce to support its efforts in the rehabilitation of gulf cadres and specialize in resolving commercial disputes through alternative means.

Dr. Adli Hammad, a experienced lawyer and key arbitrator for the program, said the main target of the program was to prepare commercial arbitrators and make them available to the commercial market, thereby contributing to the settlement of disputes more swiftly rather than referring to the ordinary courts to ensure the continued movement of trade and investment.

"This session developed a culture of commercial arbitration in Saudi Arabia's economic community and serves as an alternative for the settlement of trade disputes; I was pleased to add my experience and knowledge to this program," said Dr. Adli Hammad. "It was my pleasure to shed light on the subject of arbitration and enlarge the spectrum of knowledge for a young Saudi generation of qualified arbitrators who are capable of gaining officially certification in commercial arbitration centers," he added.

He further said that this program was a stepping stone and a source to highlight the role of the Commercial Arbitration Center in the GCC through the classification of 'arbitration' and the legal nature of the borderline between national and international governance and the role of the judiciary in arbitration systems. The program was attended by a qualified jury of arbitrators in the GCC countries who are specialized in matters of counseling and resolving commercial disputes.

The program began in the preliminary stage as part of a JCCI plan of five diploma courses in commercial dispute resolution this year with the cooperation of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Commercial Arbitration Center. Its main focus was on addressing the concept of arbitration and its legal nature and addressed the legal aspects of contracts and their impact on the system of arbitration and other topics.

Adnan bin Husain Mandoura, secretary general of the JCCI, said this new learning center will help resolve business disputes outside the court system and will save everyone time and money. The courses will be offered to any student from any specialized field who wants to become a commercial disputes judge.

This program was just the beginning of a 5-step plan beginning with the first phase entitled "arbitration agreement and regulations," the second stage entitled "arbitration proceeding," the third phase, "arbitration award methodology/rules" followed by the fourth phase that concentrates mainly on "arbitration provisions and implementation." Lastly, the fifth stage will address the theme of "mock trial process."
The program will end in June.