RIYADH: The Middle East Law Conference organized recently in Rabat, Morocco, by the Saudi Law Training Center (SLTC), lauded the institutional and judicial reforms initiated under the leadership of King Salman.
Dr. Majed M. Garoub, SLTC president and chairman, said on Sunday that the reforms have led to the formation of the Anti-Corruption Commission which is expected to attract international investments to the Kingdom.
The SLTC will also organize next month a forum on laws in the Kingdom and other Middle East countries in Georgetown University Law School in Washington, D.C.
In November 2017, the Jeddah-based law center also organized a forum in London on the economy of the Kingdom.
Dr. Yousef Aljaber, member of the board of directors of the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration, lauded the initiative in holding the conference.
He said he followed the conference “and what drew my attention is the geographical dimension of the speeches delivered during the conference, which linked two continents.
“We really need such voices to believe in the importance of these alternative means of the natural judicial system,” he said.
He described these as “effective and quick means of resolving disputes. One of the main characteristics is the specialization, which is the basic criterion in the selection of arbitrators.”
“If we assume that there is an arbitration case related to oil and energy, experts are chosen in this field. This is necessary to understand the subject of the dispute and to find the best law to be applied,” he said.
He added: “I personally tend to favor institutional arbitration rather than individual, since it’s more disciplined and abstract. In the Kingdom, a great institution has been founded, which is the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration.
“I hope that all partners will cooperate with it since it’s considered the finest local arbitrator,” he said.
Dr. Garoub added that the conference recommended the establishment of an international arbitration center between Arab and African countries.
“If and when this materializes, it will facilitate and help in the settlement of commercial disputes that may arise,” Garoub told Arab News.
Garoub added that with the establishment of the center, great opportunities for business growth in the Middle East and North Africa region can be expected.
He added that the arbitration center will “build a platform for cooperation and partnerships between centers of arbitration and mediation at the Arab and African levels.
“The arbitration center will also provide support in the fields of training and rehabilitation with emphasis on human rights culture in the subjects of arbitration and mediation,” he said.
He added that it will also support Arab and African arbitrators at the level of international arbitration centers and ensure observance of accuracy and clarity in the drafting of contracts to avoid disputes.
He stressed the importance of institutional mediation in resolving banking issues and adopting a code of ethics of arbitration and the dissemination of Arab and African arbitration decisions.
“This will enable Arab and African arbitrators to enrich their knowledge on arbitration for a more effective resolution of conflicts,” said Garoub who has 25 years of law practice behind him.
Asked why the forum was held in Rabat, he said there were a host of reasons, “First, it was because of the patronage of the Moroccan king. The forum was one of the biggest events we have organized outside Saudi Arabia.”
He said the second reason was “it was a partnership between the Ministry of Justice of Morocco and the Supreme Institute of Justice, which is a school for judges.”
The third reason is the fact that “there’s a great business development in Africa and Arab countries where an arbitration center is needed to solve commercial disputes.”
The conference was attended by 200 ministers, presidents of supreme courts and commercial courts from different countries, major law firm representatives as well as representatives of the International Court of Arbitration at the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce.
International law conference lauds judicial reforms under King Salman
International law conference lauds judicial reforms under King Salman
Excavators held for violating water system
- The discovery was made during field tours carried out by the water department
TUBARJAL: The Al-Jouf branch of the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has apprehended three excavators who were found to be violating the water system in Tubarjal.
The discovery was made during field tours carried out by the water department, in cooperation with the competent authorities in the governorate.
Separately, authorities in Addayer in the Jazan region have arrested seven Ethiopians for smuggling 105 kg of hashish. Legal procedures have been completed against the offenders who were handed over, along with the seized items, to the competent authority.
Border guard patrols in the Al-Harth area of Jazan have also foiled an attempt to smuggle 71 kg of hashish, with initial legal procedures completed and the find handed over to the competent authority.
Security authorities have reiterated their appeal for citizens and residents to report any information regarding drug smuggling or selling by calling 911 in Makkah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Region, and 999 in the rest of the Kingdom’s regions.
Those with information may also contact the General Directorate of Narcotics Control at 995 or at [email protected].
Direct KSA to Iraq flight routes announced
- These flights, along with flights to Baghdad and Irbil, will commence from June 1.
RIYADH: The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation announced the launch of direct flights from Dammam to Najaf, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.
The decision is in line with the Kingdom’s national aviation sector strategy, aimed at doubling capacity to accommodate over 330 million passengers annually, and extending services to more than 250 global destinations.
These flights, along with flights to Baghdad and Irbil, will commence from June 1.
Ministry of Hajj and Umrah praises Iraqi authorities for arresting fraudsters touting fake Hajj trips
- A ministry source in the statement also warned prospective pilgrims to beware of unauthorized Hajj offers being promoted this year
- The ministry made it clear that visas for Umrah, tourism, work, family visits, transit, and other categories do not grant eligibility to perform Hajj
RIYADH: The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah expressed its gratitude for actions taken by the Supreme Commission for Hajj and Umrah in the Republic of Iraq that resulted in the prosecution of more than 25 companies fraudulently engaged in commercial Hajj operations.
A ministry source in the statement also warned prospective pilgrims to beware of unauthorized Hajj offers being promoted this year, primarily through social media.
Participation in Hajj requires pilgrims to obtain a legitimate Hajj visa issued by the authorities in the Kingdom in coordination with Hajj affairs offices in their respective countries, or via the Nusuk Hajj platform for those countries that do not have an official Hajj office.
The source said that the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is monitoring advertisements from companies and campaigns, as well as identifying fake accounts on social networks allegedly offering Hajj packages at enticing prices.
The ministry made it clear that visas for Umrah, tourism, work, family visits, transit, and other categories do not grant eligibility to perform Hajj. It urged pilgrims to be careful not to fall victim to companies and others claiming to offer commercial Hajj campaigns or other misleading initiatives.
“Regulations must be followed and legally documented permits, as represented by the official Hajj visa, must be issued, so a safe, secure, well-managed Hajj program and fair representation to all nationalities is provided,” Mohsen Tutla, head of the World Hajj and Umrah Convention, told Arab News.
“Hajj is a mega event with more than 2 million worshippers. Can one imagine, if order was not imposed and (the event) not regulated, chaos would ensue,” he added.
In the statement, the ministry calls for everyone’s cooperation to help combat and report fraudulent companies and campaigns, and to seek information only by visiting its official website and engaging with its channels on social networks.
World’s largest Arabic opera opens in Riyadh
- The opera was produced by the Saudi Theater and Performing Arts Commission
RIYADH: “Zarqa Al-Yamama,” the world’s first and largest grand opera in Arabic, made its debut at the King Fahad Cultural Center in Riyadh, taking the audience on a lyrical journey through one of the best-known folkloric tales in the Arabian Peninsula.
The opera was produced by the Saudi Theater and Performing Arts Commission, and will run until May 4, telling the story of the central character’s attempts to warn her Jadis tribe of an imminent invasion.
Saudi chemistry duo add to KSA medal haul
- Team members were selected by Mawhiba
RIYADH: Two Saudi students have added to the Kingdom’s medal haul at the 2024 Mendeleev International Chemistry Olympiad being held in China from April 20-27.
Hassan Abdul Jalil Al-Khalifa, a third-grade secondary student from the Provincial Department of Education, Eastern Province, and fellow student Ali Salah Al-Moussa claimed bronze medals at the competition, lifting the Kingdom’s overall tally to three silver and 20 bronze.
More than 150 students from 27 countries are competing at the 58th session of the Olympiad.
Saudi Arabia is represented by a team of six students from several educational institutions.
Team members were selected by the King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, also known as Mawhiba.
Students were chosen after attending a series of forums over the course of two years, and were trained by Mawhiba, in partnership with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.
