Dubai International Arbitration Centre's first overseas dialogue a big success

The open dialogue entitled,"Meet DIAC and its Executive Committee" held on the sidelines of the International Bar Association's 13th IBA Arbitration Conference, not only helped in enhancing the reputation of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre but also provided a fitting platform for Dubai arbitrators to exchange views and experiences with their international counterparts and DIAC's associate and Executive Committee Members including Dr Habib Al Mulla, Vice-Chairman DIAC Board of Trustees and Essam Tamimi, member, DIAC Board of Trustees and Dr Nael Bunni, Chairman, Executive Committee and two other Executive Committee members Michael Schneider and Dr. Tarek Riad.

Said Dr. Habib Mulla,

"This 3rd Arbitration Dialogue, staged outside the UAE for the first time, has marked the beginning of a new era of international arbitration, which is to promote an open and constructive dialogue between leading dispute resolution providers in the Middle East and the international community. I was truly impressed by the overall turnout and responsiveness of the audience, which demonstrated the genuine need for DIAC to promote its services globally."

Said Dr. Nael Bunni, "DIAC's third open dialogue held in London, allowed the Centre to spread its name and activities more effectively to the global users of International Arbitration."






Dr. Neil Bunni explained that the dialogue followed the same pattern as those previously held in Dubai and then was extremely successful in delivering its message. Its success was notable from the importance of those who attended and the level of the discussions that took place.

The Dialogue helped in highlighting the various aspects of the work being carried out by the Centre, including its rules, methods of appointment of arbitrators and calculation of the costs and arbitrators fees. One of the Dialogue's features of success was its ability to share with its current and prospective users the transparent manner in which various aspects of arbitration are dealt with.

In his presentation, Dr. Neil Bunni said that DIAC has seen a marked increase in the number of cases it received since its inception which was 15 in 2003, 38 in 2005, 100 in 2008 and 292 in 2009 as the numbers are expected to increase during the current year.

Added Dr. Hussam Talhuni, Director, Dubai International Arbitration Centre, "The London open dialogue has provided a perfect venue for DIAC to raise awareness about its services to the international gathering and to promote the high reputation it enjoys as a world leader in the field of international arbitration. The Centre offers the best services that are in line with the services provided by some of the most reputable and leading arbitration centres in Paris and London,"

The attendees including arbitrators, judges, lawyers and government officials and the panel of speakers discussed a range of important topics related to commercial arbitration and neutrality, notably transparency and fairness and cost issues related to arbitration cases which were followed by a question and answer session.

The DIAC delegation also participated in the 13th IBA Arbitration Conference in London where the delegation had the opportunity to network and exchange experiences with stakeholders from major global arbitration centers and also got a chance to promote the Center in an international legal forum.