Board of Trustees (BoT)

CRCICA has a Board of Trustees (BoT) consisting of ten (10) members at least and thirty (30) members at the most appointed in consultation with AALCO from amongst eminent African and Asian personalities specialized in the fields of international arbitration, law, business, trade, investment and international relations.

The BoT may include up to 20% of its members from outside the Afro-Asian Region from amongst figures specialized in the aforementioned fields. The composition of CRCICA’s current Board of Trustees is showed below.

The term of the BoT is four years, which may be renewed once for a similar term, unless otherwise determined due to special circumstances. The BoT carries out the functions provided for in the By-laws of the Board of Trustees. This includes meeting once a year to oversee CRCICA’s caseload and in particular the following functions:

  1. Appointing the Director of the Centre in consultation with AALCO for a four-year term, which may be renewed once for a similar term, unless otherwise determined due to special circumstances;
  2.  Setting down the general policy for achieving the objectives of the Centre; and
  3. Ratifying the Auditor’s report for each fiscal year.

habib

Dr. Habib Al Mulla

Founder, Habib Al Mulla & Partners
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dr.Habib is one of the UAE’s most esteemed legal authorities, with over 40 years of experience in UAE laws. He is a frequent commentator on UAE legislation and economy and is often consulted to draft and advise on laws at both Federal and Emirate levels.

His legal practice focuses on litigation and arbitration. Dr.Habib previously served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and is a member of the Board of the Dubai International Chamber. He was instrumental in establishing the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the first financial free zone in the UAE, serving as the first Chairman of the Dubai Financial Services Authority and its Legislative Committee.

Dr.Habib has held numerous influential government roles, including member of the UAE Federal National Council, member of the Legislative and Economic Committees, Director and board member of the Supreme Institute of Advanced Legal and Judicial Studies in Dubai, and Chairman of the UAE Jurists Association.

He has authored many publications on the UAE’s law and economy, including “Life’s Harvest,” a two-part book chronicling his significant contributions over the last 26 years. His expertise has earned him regular features in the media, and he is a prominent speaker at both local and international events. In recognition of his distinguished career, he received the UAE Lifetime Achievement award from Chambers Middle East Awards in 2022 and was named a Senior Statesperson for UAE: Dispute Resolution by Chambers & Partners the same year.

Dr.Habib earned his LL.B. in Shari’a and Law from UAE University, a Master of Law from Harvard Law School, and a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. He is fluent in Arabic and English.