31 December 2025 marks the conclusion of the term of Prof. Dr. Ismail Selim as Director of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration—a tenure that commenced on 1 January 2017 and spanned nine years of dedicated service since his appointment. During this period, CRCICA operated in an increasingly demanding arbitration environment, shaped by growing caseload complexity, heightened expectations of institutional governance, and expanding international engagement.
Throughout his directorship, Prof. Dr. Selim led CRCICA with consistency, diligence, and a strong sense of institutional responsibility. His approach emphasized stability, independence, and careful stewardship, with a focus on maintaining CRCICA’s credibility as a neutral and reliable arbitral institution serving both its regional mandate and an increasingly diverse international user base.
Under his stewardship, CRCICA undertook a number of important institutional developments. These included the introduction of the CRCICA Dispute Board Rules in 2021, and the adoption of the revised CRCICA Arbitration Rules in 2024, following a consultative process that reflected accumulated institutional experience and developments in arbitration practice. This in addition to issuing the Practice Notes on the 2024 Arbitration Rules in December 2025. Together, these initiatives contributed to updating the Centre’s normative framework and supporting the effective administration of proceedings.
In parallel, Prof. Dr. Selim placed sustained emphasis on strengthening CRCICA’s international recognition and expanding its network of cooperation at the national, regional, and international levels. His approach focused on building practical, institution-to-institution relationships through memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements with arbitration centres, judicial bodies, academic institutions, and professional organizations, aimed at supporting capacity building, knowledge exchange, and institutional dialogue. These partnerships were pursued selectively and with a view to long-term value, contributing to CRCICA’s visibility, credibility, and integration within the global arbitration community while reinforcing its role as a regional anchor institution with broad international engagement.
During the same period, CRCICA maintained a programme of conferences, workshops, lecture series, training courses, and professional activities aimed at strengthening arbitration and ADR knowledge across the legal community. These initiatives included flagship conferences such as the Sharm El-Sheikh Conferences, thematic lectures addressing contemporary issues in arbitration, and tailored training programmes for practitioners, judges, government officials, young professionals, and students, and being amongst the pioneer partners in the first edition of Egypt Arbitration Days. Many of these activities were delivered in cooperation with regional and international partners, including arbitral institutions, courts, academic bodies, and professional organizations, and increasingly adopted digital and hybrid formats to ensure continuity and wider participation. The emphasis throughout was on practical capacity building, informed dialogue, and knowledge exchange, reinforcing CRCICA’s role as a regional hub for professional development while remaining closely aligned with evolving international arbitration practice .
This trajectory culminated in a historic year in 2025, during which CRCICA registered a record-breaking total of 97 new cases, the highest annual caseload since its establishment. These proceedings reflected sustained and growing confidence among users from across jurisdictions, with cases seated not only in Cairo but also in New York and Abu Dhabi, involving non-Egyptian parties and governed by a diverse range of applicable laws, including English, Swiss, Sudanese, and Egyptian law.
Throughout this period, CRCICA continued to administer cases efficiently and professionally in Arabic, English, and French, reflecting both its regional mandate and its international reach. In parallel, the Centre expanded the accessibility of its Arbitration Rules, which are now available in Arabic, English, French, and Russian, with a Chinese-language version forthcoming, further enhancing CRCICA’s openness to a global user base and emerging arbitration markets and to improve accessibility for users.
Among the most notable external recognitions of this period was the official selection of the CRCICA Arbitration Rules as the procedural framework for the 35th Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, to be held in Vienna in 2028—an endorsement reflecting the Rules’ alignment with global best practice and CRCICA’s standing within the international arbitration community. CRCICA also obtained Permanent Arbitral Institution status in the Russian Federation, a distinction accorded to a limited number of institutions worldwide, further expanding its reach and reinforcing its reputation as a neutral, high-quality dispute resolution institution within diverse legal environments.
Beyond external growth and recognition, Prof. Dr. Selim championed significant internal reforms aimed at strengthening institutional resilience, including the modernization of CRCICA’s Employees Regulations. His tenure also witnessed tangible investments in CRCICA’s physical infrastructure, including workplace upgrades, refurbishments, and the expansion of hearing and conference facilities, ensuring that the Centre’s operational environment remained aligned with contemporary professional and technological standards.
Throughout his directorship, CRCICA remained steadfastly committed to its core principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence. These foundations proved instrumental in ensuring institutional continuity, resilience during periods of global disruption, and a smooth and confident leadership transition.
CRCICA extends its profound gratitude to Prof. Dr. Ismail Selim for his exceptional service, leadership, and enduring institutional legacy, and conveys its warmest wishes for his continued success and lasting impact in the years ahead.
