Commentary EditorialGuest ColumnistsBlawgsTreaty ReviewKnow Your RightsBook Review

Laws & Judgments New LawsDraft BillsJudgment Analysis

News & Events RegionalInternationalNational

Updates JudiciaryOmbudspersonLaw OfficersBar AssociationsIn House LawyersLaw FirmsLaw SchoolsAlternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) CentresSpecial Monitoring Unit (SMU)

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centres

Special Monitoring Unit (SMU)

Law FAQs How To GuideEnglish - Urdu TranslationLegal Terms

English - Urdu Translation

More AdmissionsScholarshipsJobs in LawInterviews

Infotainment Video BlogsArtEntertainmentLifestyle

THE SAUDI CENTER FOR COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION: AN INSTITUTION OF GROWING REGIONAL RELEVANCE

THE SAUDI CENTER FOR COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION: AN INSTITUTION OF GROWING REGIONAL RELEVANCE

By Taimur Malik and Maleeka Bokhari

The growth of the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) over the past decade is part of a broader development in the dispute resolution landscape of the Middle East. As Saudi Arabia expands its role as an investment destination and source of outbound capital, the Kingdom has also been developing the legal and institutional infrastructure needed to support increasingly complex commercial relationships.

Established in 2014 as an independent, non-profit institution, SCCA administers arbitration and mediation proceedings from its headquarters in Riyadh and also maintains a branch office in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Its development is particularly relevant for businesses and practitioners operating across the Gulf, Pakistan and other markets with significant commercial relationships with Saudi Arabia.

Perhaps the clearest measure of SCCA’s development is its caseload. In 2025, SCCA registered 182 cases, representing a 52% increase over the preceding year. Of these, 119 were arbitrations. The amount in dispute in arbitrations registered during the year was approximately US$1.09 billion. Among these arbitrations, construction and engineering was the largest sector, accounting for approximately 47% of cases.

The trajectory has continued. SCCA reported in June 2026 that more than 200 cases had already been registered during the first half of the year. More recently, in September 2026, it stated that its cumulative caseload across its services had exceeded 1,000 cases involving parties from 30 countries, with an aggregate value in dispute exceeding US$3.62........

© Courting The Law