Distribution of the 16th “Middle East” preparatory awards for the William C. Viss International Commercial Arbitration Competition

The Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution organized the awards ceremony for the sixteenth edition of the Middle East Preparatory Competition for the Willem C-Face International Commercial Arbitration Competition, at the Sheraton Hotel, marking the conclusion of the program organized by the Chamber in partnership with the Royal University for Women in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and with the support of the Singapore Center for International Arbitration and the “Jus Mundi” electronic platform for legal publishing, in addition to many local and international law firms, which reflects a joint commitment to building capabilities and developing skills in the field of arbitration. International in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The ceremony was attended by the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Reham Khalil, and the President of the International Commercial Court in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Professor Jan Poulsson, along with an elite group of senior representatives of the legal and academic communities.

This year’s edition witnessed the participation of 19 university teams and 106 participants representing 15 countries. Over five days, the teams participated in simulation sessions of arbitration procedures based on the case under discussion for the thirty-third session of the FACE competition, as pleadings were presented before bodies that included an elite group of arbitration practitioners, academics and legal scholars.

During the ceremony, the most distinguished teams and students were honored, as the Saint Joseph University of Beirut team from Lebanon won first place, while the Royal University for Girls team from the Kingdom of Bahrain won second place, in addition to additional awards and honors in recognition of excellence in written, oral, and professional pleadings. The awards also included practical training opportunities provided by local and regional law firms, and scholarships provided by the Royal University for Women.

The CEO of the Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution, Ahmed Abdul Rahman, expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the arbitrators, trainers, academic partners, sponsors and volunteers, for the time and experience they provided that contributed to the implementation of this program with the Chamber’s work team under the supervision of Registrar General Fatima Al Jalahma, which resulted in providing a serious and supportive training environment for the next generation of arbitration practitioners. He also thanked the Royal University for Women, praising its efforts in hosting the sixteenth edition on its campus in the Kingdom of Bahrain and its support for a week full of academic and professional interaction at a high level.

After the conclusion of the preparatory competition, the participating teams will continue to benefit from the expertise, observations and experiences gained in the Kingdom of Bahrain as part of their final preparations for the oral rounds in Vienna and Hong Kong. The Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution will also continue to work in coordination with its partners and supporters to enhance the upcoming sessions of the Middle East Preparatory Competition for the Willem C-Face Competition, and advance initiatives that contribute to the development of arbitration education and vocational training in the region.