Riyadh International Dispute Resolution Week 2026 concluded recently in the capital Riyadh with high-level participation of government and judicial leaders, judges, legal and arbitration experts, and business leaders from around the world.
Through an intensive scientific program that included five specialized dialogue sessions focused on the development of the dispute resolution industry and its global growth prospects, the conference discussed “Creditable dispute resolution in a turbulent world” among themes that addressed the contribution of strong governance, legal clarity and effective dispute resolution to the development of trust and stability.
One of this week’s special events, the New York Convention Arab Judicial Forum, attracted widespread attention as it was one of the most prominent and professional activities of the week, bringing together 50 judges from 22 Arab countries and 20 international experts in commercial arbitration for an expanded judicial dialogue to discuss issues such as the application of the 1958 New York Convention, the scope of judicial control over arbitral awards, and the interpretation of public policy as grounds for refusal to implement. In addition to considering comparative case law.
The Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration, the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA), the League of Arab States, and the Arab Center for Law and Judicial Studies participated in organizing the forum.
Forum sessions contributed to deepening common understanding of the mechanisms for enforcing arbitral awards and increasing the predictability of judicial decisions. This will positively reflect commercial stability, attract investment and strengthen institutional integration between national judiciary and arbitration systems.
In the framework of investing in young legal talent and developing future arbitrators, the 7th International Commercial Arbitration Competition concluded, seeing a wide participation of student teams representing Sharia, Law, Regulation and Law faculties from 25 countries.
In the middle of a nine-month competitive journey. Participants gained comprehensive practical experience in international commercial arbitration, including drafting legal memorandums and oral argument in a hypothetical international commercial arbitration case under the supervision of a group of international arbitrators and experts. This competition strengthened the link between theoretical knowledge and practical application and contributed to developing a generation of qualified arbitration practitioners in accordance with international best practices.
The week also witnessed the holding of an international conference to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), an international evening that reflected the depth of Saudi Arabia’s partnership with international organizations and highlighted UNCITRAL’s contribution in unifying the legal rules of international trade and its role in supporting stability in global investment, as well as underscoring Saudi Arabia’s position as a reliable host of major international legal events.
The week’s activities also included 380 speakers from government leaders, experts, and practitioners in the fields of law, arbitration, and dispute resolution.
