Extending efforts to foster ADR locally and regionally

SCCA Academy launched to develop dispute resolution practitioners

Riyadh     11 Sep 2022

As an extension of its efforts to foster the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) locally and regionally, the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) has launched the SCCA Academy, which will be responsible for developing Arab ADR practitioners and shaping an elite corps of professionals in the Middle East.

According to SCCA, the SCCA Academy, which is the first initiative of its kind in the Arab world, will enhance the knowledge and skills of ADR practitioners involved in arbitration, mediation, and other forms of ADR. They will be trained in accordance with the latest international standards and best practices, thereby fostering the industry in the region and enhancing the competitiveness of Arab practitioners within relevant international institutions and forums.

To achieve its vision, the SCCA Academy will offer both short and long courses that provide professional, specialized training and education to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to practice ADR, together with international partners and led by top industry experts.

The training and educational programs at the SCCA Academy are aimed at professionals who want to build skills in or start practicing arbitration, mediation, and other forms of ADR. Courses are open to lawyers and legal counsels, trainee lawyers, and professionals broadly, and it will also prepare future generations.

Commenting on this initiative, Dr. Walid Bin Sulaiman Abanumay, chairman of SCCA, said the motivation for launching the SCCA Academy is to place efforts to spread the culture of ADR under one umbrella, a training arm SCCA will dedicate to developing the ADR industry and advancing ADR practices locally and regionally.

Dr. Abanumay added: “The launch of the SCCA Academy affirms the SCCA’s leading role in driving the growth of the ADR industry in Saudi Arabia and the region by building an Arab cadre of ADR practitioners who take the latest industry standards and best practices and apply them to resolve commercial disputes and facilitate parties’ access to justice.”

SCCA CEO Dr. Hamed Bin Hassan Merah said the SCCA Academy will offer two forms of training programs, short courses and long courses, some of which will be offered in partnership with international organizations such as the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).

Dr. Merah added: “In planning its programs, the SCCA Academy aims to tailor the contents to the standards and practices of the international ADR community. It will use simulations to present problems and solutions, making its programs modern in content and applicable to various business sectors.”

Dr. Merah said that at its launch, the SCCA Academy will provide four training and professional programs: the Pathway in International Arbitration, Mediation in Commercial Disputes, Arbitral Tribunal Secretary Preparation program, and Drafting Dispute Resolution Clauses program. It aims to launch more programs in the near future, that will contribute to enriching the ADR community and developing the skills of ADR practitioners.

 

More information can be found at the SCCA Academy’s main website: (SCCA.ACADEMY)