The total number of arbitration cases filed before CRCICA until 31 December 2015 reached 1070 cases. In 2015, 54 new arbitration cases were filed.
14 out of the 54 new cases were filed in the first quarter of 2015, while 12 cases were filed in the second quarter of 2015. The third quarter of 2015 witnessed the filing of 11 new arbitration cases, while 17 new cases were filed in the last quarter of 2015. The largest sum in dispute filed in 2015 amounted to US $971,587,461 and related to the construction of an industrial and commercial project in Damietta Port, Egypt.
The 17 new cases filed in the fourth quarter of 2015 involved disputes relating to services, construction, media and entertainment, supply, real estate, lease agreements, sale and purchase of shares, concession and franchise agreements.
The following pie shows a breakdown of the types of disputed contracts during the fourth quarter of 2015:
According to the statistics of 2015, Construction disputes rank on top of the disputed contracts referred to the Centre (13 Cases) followed by media and entertainment disputes (8 cases) and services (8 cases). Cases arising out of lease and supply agreements filed in 2015 amounted to 4 cases each, while the number of cases arising out of real estate and sale and purchase of shares amounted to 3 cases each. Two cases arising out of both hotel management and franchise agreements were also filed in 2015. The other 7 cases filed in 2015 related to agency agreements, cooperation agreements, concession agreements, factoring agreements, settlement agreements, shareholders agreements, and telecommunications (1 case each).
A promising start for construction cases was actually announced in the first quarter in 2015 and has been confirmed by the end of 2015 with construction cases regaining its top position with 13 cases compared to 10 cases in 2014.
The following pie shows a breakdown of the types of disputed contracts in 2015:
The rich variety of the types of disputed contracts referred to CRCICA in 2015 clearly illustrates the importance of arbitration as a means of dispute settlement and confirms the credibility of institutional arbitration under CRCICA’s auspices.
It was previously reported that the second quarter of 2015 witnessed the filing of a counterclaim in a case already registered under the auspices of the Centre. The aggregate sum in dispute after taking into account the counterclaim and the revised main claim reached US$ 3,972,054,058 (Approx. EGP 30,806,933,504).
The fourth quarter of 2015 also witnessed a substantial increase in the main claim in a Gas Supply case already registered under the auspices of the Centre. The aggregate sum in dispute after taking into account the revised main claim reached US$ 2,586,439,098 (Approx. EGP 20,303,546,919.3).
The above changes led to an increase in the total sums in dispute during 2015 reaching US$ 6,435,713,084 (more than 50 Billion Egyptian Pounds), representing as such new record for the aggregate annual sums in dispute.
In the fourth quarter of 2015, arbitration proceedings involved parties from different countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Russia. The fourth quarter of 2015 also witnessed the filing of a purely international case arising between companies located in Saudi Arabia with respect to the implementation of a real Estate project in Saudi Arabia.
The following pie shows a breakdown of the nationalities of non-Egyptian parties in the fourth quarter of 2015:
According to the statistics of 2015, parties from Saudi Arabia rank on top of Arab parties referring their disputes to the Centre followed by parties from Lebanon, Libya, and the U.A.E., while parties from the USA rank on top of non-Arab parties referring their disputes to the Centre, followed by parties from Turkey, the British Virgin Islands, Russia, Spain, Taiwan and the Cayman Islands.
CRCICA is pleased to see that in 2015, its Arbitration Rules have been chosen by parties to two purely international contracts (not involving any Egyptian party) between parties from Saudi Arabia, USA, and the U.A.E.
The following pie shows a breakdown of the nationalities of non-Egyptian parties in 2015:
According to the statistics of 2015, non-Arab arbitrators came from the USA, the UK, Germany, France and Spain, while Arab arbitrators came from Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Tunisia.
The following pie shows a breakdown of the nationalities of non-Egyptian arbitrators in 2015:
