The Executive Committee of the Sharjah International Commercial Arbitration Centre, Tahkeem, has approved evaluation mechanism for evaluating arbitrators in its recent meeting.

Abdulla Deaifis, Chairman of the Executive Committee led the meeting which was attended by Ahmed Al Ajlah, Tahkeem Director, along with the Executive Committee members, represented by Dr. Shahin Ishaq Al Mazmi, Khairallah Al-Hajji, Professor Nassif Abu Malhab, Professor Mohammed Ahmed Al Shehhi and Dr. Asmaa Ahmad Al-Rasheed, at Tahkeem headquarters in Expo Centre - Sharjah.

In his opening speech, Deaifis underlined the need to harness all energies and unlock all potential to optimise the Centre’s performance and ensure further successes for the next period.

He underscored the importance of maintaining channels of constructive communications with all governmental, semi-governmental and private institutions to enable them to benefit from the valuable and internationally-recognised arbitration services provided by the Centre. He emphasised the need to include arbitration clauses in the contracts of all private institutions of all types and activities, for the benefit of all parties involved.

Ahmed Al Ajlah reviewed the minutes of the Executive Committee’s meeting, including those of the meeting held on 15th May 2018, which were fully approved by the Executive Committee members, including the participation of Tahkeem in the Dubai Arbitration Week, to be held from 11th to 14th November and the plan of action for this participation.

During the meeting, the Federal Arbitration Law No. 06 of 2018 was reviewed and the Executive Committee along with the Centre's teams have been assigned to meet and deliberate on all its provisions, including the amendments needed to be included in the Tahkeem’s Rules and Regulations in compliance with Federal Law No. 06 of 2018 and Law No. 01 of 2003, with regards to the regulation of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its amendments, including the clause addressing the settlement of commercial disputes along with other related items.

The Tahkeem Director reviewed a proposed mechanism for evaluating arbitrators in line with Tahkeem standards and regulations. In this regard, a point-based evaluation mechanism has been approved, where a set of criteria has been endorsed, including academic qualifications; professional experience, whether locally or internationally; membership in other arbitration centres; languages mastered by applicants; as well as publications, and articles authored by applicants. It has been agreed to study and propose registration fees to be paid by applying arbitrators for review at the next Executive Committee meeting for endorsement.

At the end of the meeting, the Executive Committee reviewed the Tahkeem's budget report until 31st August, 2018, in addition to discussing the latest developments of the Centre's operational plan, reviewing arbitrators’ files, and mulling over an array of other issues, while making the necessary recommendations.