The total number of arbitration cases filed before CRCICA until the end of 2011 was 792 cases. In 2011, 66 new arbitration cases were filed before CRCICA, including 19 international cases against 16 cases in 2010, scoring as such a 19 per cent annual increase in international cases.
CRCICA’s 2011 caseload involved disputes relating to construction, supply, media and entertainment, sale and purchase of shares, telecommunications, subcontracting agreements, agency agreements, consultancy agreements, escrow agencies, hotel management, payment of corporate debts, international sale of goods, shareholders’ agreements, real estate, mergers and acquisitions, attorneys’ fees, promissory notes, gas supply, food catering agreements, import of liquid commercial butane, Islamic finance, lease of construction equipment, management of financial portfolios, management of restaurants, mining and exploration concessions, privatization, services, sports-related and turnkey construction.
The following pie shows a breakdown of the types of disputed contracts during 2011:
As can be seen, construction disputes still rank on top of CRCICA’s caseload (17.9%), while disputes arising out of supply contracts, telecommunications, sale and purchase of shares and media and entertainment are witnessing a remarkable increase. It is worth noting that 2011 witnessed the filing of the first CRCICA sports-related dispute concerning the satellite broadcasting of a sportive event. Also, a case relating to the review of gas supply prices is of particular importance. An Islamic finance dispute arising out of a contract for Mudarabah and Murabaha was also brought before the Centre. Another dispute relating to the privatization of a well-known publicly-owned department store was also filed. Regarding real estate disputes, the year 2011 witnessed the filing of a domestic dispute arising out of the sale of a vacant land in Sahl Hashish, Egypt as well as an international dispute arising out of the sale of properties in Alexandria, Egypt. It is also worth mentioning that two cases arising out of escrow agency agreements were filed in 2011 as well as a case relating to the import of liquid butane. Concerning mergers and acquisitions, one case was filed relating to the acquisition of an industrial manufacturer of food products. A case relating to promissory notes and another one arising out of a food catering agreement were also filed in 2011. The rich variety of the types of disputed contracts referred to CRCICA in 2011 clearly illustrates the importance of arbitration as a means of dispute settlement and confirms the credibility of institutional arbitration under CRCICA’s auspices.
In 2011, the parties to CRCICA’s arbitrations were from Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the UK, British Virgin Islands, Kuwait, the US, Norway, Cyprus, Germany, Sweden, Jersey, Greece, Qatar, Jordan and Luxembourg.
The following pie shows a breakdown of the nationalities of non-Egyptian parties during 2011:
CRCICA is pleased to see that its Arbitration Rules have been selected by Scandinavian parties from Norway and Sweden and notes an increasing number of cases involving companies incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, Jersey and Luxembourg, relating mainly to sale and purchase of shares and shareholders’ agreements.
In 2011, arbitrators acting under the auspices of CRCICA came from Egypt, Lebanon, France, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Iraq, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and Syria. French arbitrators rank on top of non-Arab arbitrators, while Lebanese arbitrators are the most frequently appointed Arab arbitrators.
The following pie shows a breakdown of the nationalities of non-Egyptian arbitrators during 2011:
