MANAMA: The Gulf Commercial Arbitration Center announced on Monday that it will organize the “First Gulf Law and Arbitration Week” during the period from January 26 to 30, 2025, in Bahrain, with strategic participation from the Federation of Gulf Chambers, the Gulf Engineering Union, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, and LexisNexis, a global publishing, information, and legal analysis company.

Secretary General of the Gulf Commercial Arbitration Center, Dr Kamal Al-Hamad, said in a press statement that the first law and arbitration week for the GCC countries, which will be held over five days, includes more than 20 dialogue sessions in which more than 30 leading figures will speak. He added that it will also include honoring the most prominent Gulf figures who served the law, commercial judiciary, arbitration, advocacy, and legal affairs sectors from the legislative, executive, and judicial authorities in the GCC countries in appreciation of their efforts.

Al-Hamad explained that the ministers of the GCC countries, most notably the ministers of energy, transport, investment, trade, finance, and housing, were addressed to shed light on major and gigantic projects in all sectors, especially the energy, transport, logistics, real estate, and urban development sectors, to participate in the week’s activities and events. Senior executives from the public and private sectors and a group of legal experts from the International Bar Association, the World Bank, and global arbitration centers were also addressed as keynote speakers.

He considered that this step is a new start for the center after its recent celebration of the 30th anniversary of its establishment, as it is expected that no less than 1,000 international leaders in law and arbitration will participate to support and localize the arbitration industry in the GCC countries. Al-Hamad considered that this event aims to bring together specialists in economics and investment in addition to law, scholarly arbitrators, and industry leaders from the GCC countries.

This historic event comes as a pivotal forum to enhance the investment and economic environment through cooperation and exchange of knowledge and addressing the unique legal challenges within the GCC for investors and businessmen from the G20 countries. In this regard, he stressed the importance of the pioneering role played by the Gulf Commercial Arbitration Center in creating a regulatory and attractive environment for investment through settling disputes, spreading the arbitration culture, and facilitating the practice of business in the Gulf region.

Al-Hamad stated that the center provides all judicial guarantees to protect and encourage investments, which would enhance the safe investment climate in the Gulf countries, facilitate the business environment, and support local and foreign investors to operate their businesses and expand their investments.

The Gulf Commercial Arbitration Center was established in 1993 with the aim of settling commercial disputes that arise between Gulf-Gulf or Gulf-foreign parties operating within any of the GCC countries, provided that both disputing parties agree to resort to arbitration. The center, which is headquartered in the Bahraini capital, Manama, began its operations to support the growing commercial sector in the region in 1995. — KUNA