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10 - 14 NOVEMBER 2025

Format: In Person

Resolving disputes in the new age of geoeconomics

In this session we examine the impact of the new age of geoeconomics on contract performance and dispute resolution.

Disputes coming out of COVID and government lockdown are still going through the arbitration process. More recently there have been territorial invasions and conflicts with the related imposition of sanctions and counter-sanctions, the imposition of tariffs, inflation and the continuing problems of climate change.

Against this rapidly evolving backdrop companies need to re-appraise their risk appetite. The after effects will be felt for some time. The issues to be discussed include

  • What are the “usual” commercial contractual provisions and other doctrines engaged – are they fit for purpose?
  • Is this new era leading to greater scrutiny of and challenges to arbitrators?
  • Are Parties choosing different seats? Should they?
  • To what extent are sanctions having an effect on arbitration proceedings?
  • What are the challenges for the Institutions and are they responding to them?
  • How are the domestic Courts supporting arbitration –do anti-suit injunctions work?

From Conflict to Consensus: How mediation can become the preferred mechanism for resolving innovation-driven conflicts in the Middle East

The UK Intellectual Property Office’s (IPO) vision aligns closely with that of the GCC, and particularly the UAE, in seeking to protect Intellectual Property (IP) rights while minimising the need for formal legal action in the event of disputes across all IP categories. This is achieved by promoting the use of effective Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods.

Depending on the nature of the dispute, mediation can deliver broader benefits than formal court proceedings. It can strengthen business confidence, unlock further commercial opportunities, and encourage more collaborative ways of working. Moreover, mediation supports judicial efficiency, contributes to economic reform, and enhances the overall ease of doing business

Panel Discussion: From Tribunals to Courtrooms: Recognition, Enforcement & Setting Aside of Arbitral Awards in Qatar, UAE, KSA & Oman

The panel will bring together leading legal experts to explore how arbitral awards are treated by courts across key GCC jurisdictions – Qatar, UAE, KSA, and Oman.

While a detailed agenda and list of discussion points will follow shortly, the session will provide attendees with a comprehensive understanding of recognition, setting aside, and enforcement mechanisms, as well as judicial attitudes toward foreign arbitral awards in each of these jurisdictions.

Topics will include comparative insights on court intervention, practical challenges in enforcement, trends in successful challenges, recent legal reforms, and forward-looking recommendations.

Arbitration in Waste Management Sector Disputes

The waste management sector is integral to safeguarding public health, preserving the environment, and advancing sustainable development goals. As the sector expands, contractual frameworks have become increasingly complex, encompassing activities such as waste collection, transportation, treatment, recycling, and disposal.

This complexity, coupled with the sector’s technical and environmental dimensions, often gives rise to disputes between public authorities, private operators, contractors, and suppliers. Common areas of contention include contract performance, delays, technical compliance, adherence to environmental standards, and settlement of financial obligations.

Arbitration serves as a highly effective dispute resolution mechanism in this context, offering confidentiality, procedural flexibility, and the possibility of appointing arbitrators with sector-specific technical and environmental expertise. Such tailored adjudication ensures outcomes that are not only legally robust but also attuned to the operational realities of waste management.

This roundtable—jointly organized by the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA) and ALAIDAROUS Advocates and Legal Consultants—will bring together legal experts, industry stakeholders, and arbitration practitioners to explore key trends, challenges, and best practices in resolving waste management disputes through arbitration.

Welcome remarks

  • Mr. Ali Al Aidarous, Managing Attorney, ALAIDAROUS Advocates and Legal Consultants
  • Prof. Dr. Ismail Selim, Director of CRCICA, President of IFCAI, Chairman of Ciarb Egypt and Vice-President of AfAA

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Georges Affaki, CCEF, C.Arb, FCIArb Professeur des universités associé Partner, Avocat à la Cour

Speakers:

  • Mr. Khaled Saqqaf, Partner – Head of Jordan & Iraq Offices at Al Tamimi & Co.
  • Dr. Tarek F. Riad, Managing Partner at Kosheri, Rashed & Riad | Previous Chairman of the Executive Committee at Dubai International Arbitration Center (DIAC)
  • Prof. Dr. Mohamed Sameh Amr, Dean-Faculty of Law, Cairo University; Prof. of International Law; Managing Partner-Amr & Partners, Attorney-at-Law; Independent Consultant (Paris), Arbitrator, ICSID Panel of Arbitrators, Former Ambassador to UNESCO
  • Prof. Dr. Hadi Slim, Law Professor François-Rabelais University (France)

Arbitralis INTADR Yacht Event

Following the success of Arbitralis & INTADR’s informal sunset cruise during DAW24, Arbitralis and INTADR are proud to officially partner for the launch of the Arbitralis & INTADR DAW25 Sunset Cruise. This signature event offers arbitrators and the wider international arbitration community a truly memorable networking experience at sea. Set in a spectacular setting, the cruise will provide an exceptional opportunity to reconnect with peers, friends and colleagues from the international arbitration community, to exchange ideas and engage in meaningful conversions on global developments and experiences in commercial and construction arbitration, as well as ADR.

The Battle of the Seats: The Attractivity of Civil and Common Law Seats

This event will include a keynote from a leading arbitration practitioner; it will follow with a brief presentation on the French arbitration law reform followed by a panel discussion of the reform and its salient points. A second panel will take a comparative approach, looking at various points discussed in the first panel from a broader, civil law jurisdiction perspective.

The Perfect Storm: General Counsel’s Playbook to Navigating a Crisis

An exclusive dinner for General Counsel held at one of Dubai’s best restaurants, The Artisan at the Waldorf Astoria, addressing key trends that impact business today. Our panel comprising Vanessa Medina, Senior Legal Counsel at Masdar and other in-house speakers will touch on geopolitics, trade wars, increased regulatory burden, natural resource nationalisation amongst other topics. Our hosts, Bora Rawcliffe and Kate Jackson-McGill KC will facilitate peer-to-peer discussion. Our disputes and white collar defense teams will share experience and war stories to armor our guests with tools to navigate any crisis.

Alem & Associates’ Arbitration Quiz & Cocktail Night

Join us for an evening where sharp minds meet good spirits!

Alem & Associates invites you to its first-ever Arbitration Quiz & Cocktail Night, held as part of Dubai Arbitration Week 2025.

Think you can tell your UNCITRAL Rules from your DIAC Arbitration, or your governing law from your lex arbitri? Here’s your chance to prove it.
Expect lively rounds of arbitration-themed multiple-choice questions spanning landmark cases, global institutions, trivia, and a few surprises. Gather your colleagues, test your arbitration IQ, and enjoy an evening of friendly competition, laughter, and cocktails — all hosted under the quick wit of our quizmasters

Global Crises, Global Solutions: The Role of International Arbitration

The panel will address a variety of issues including:

The utility of international arbitration to institutions in times of crisis (including how it could be applied to modern day contexts)
Key features of arbitration that can be used practically to manage fast-moving disputes
How arbitration can be coupled with other tools to negotiate a successful outcome to complex issues
Case study on crisis management issue

DAB: effective dispute resolution or a checkbox?

Dispute Adjudication Boards (DABs) are increasingly included in construction contracts, but do they truly serve as an effective dispute resolution mechanism, or are they merely a contractual formality? This panel brings together international experts to examine the practical role of DABs, their effectiveness in resolving disputes, and whether they deliver real value in today’s projects.