Dubai 26- 27 January 2026
Managing partner Rasem Kamal had the pleasure to speak yesterday at the 14th ICC MENA Conference on International Arbitration in Dubai, a flagship gathering that once again brought together an outstanding mix of arbitrators, counsel, in-house lawyers, and regional decision-makers.
The conference offered a strong and timely programme addressing some of the most pressing issues facing international arbitration in the MENA region today—ranging from the interaction between courts and arbitral tribunals, to state and SOE disputes, investment risk, pricing volatility, and enforcement challenges. The discussions were practical, candid, and firmly grounded in regional realities.
Mr. Kamal spoke in the final session of the conference, which focused on awarding costs in international arbitration, including common pitfalls and best practices in drafting well-reasoned and predictable costs decisions. The session combined a live mock ICC Court scrutiny of a draft award with a broader discussion on emerging trends and approaches in costs allocation. I was delighted to share the panel with Rozana ALTayyar, Samaa Haridi, Karam Farah, Stella Leptourgou, Claudia Salomon, and Sami Houerbi.
Beyond the excellent substantive discussions, the conference was equally valuable for the quality of the connections and exchanges throughout the day—both during the sessions and in the networking that followed.