“Impact of recent Egyptian Judicial Decisions on Reversing Privatizations and Foreign Investment”

The American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AMCHAM) sponsored a meeting on 7 February 2012 to examine the potential effects of recent court rulings reversing privatizations of government-owned companies. Featured speakers were Coun. Mohamed Amin El Mahdi, past president of the Egyptian State Council and Former International Criminal Tribunal Judge and Dr. Mohamed Abdel Raouf, CRCICA Director.
Dr. Abdel Raouf delivered a presentation on “The Practice of International Arbitration involving Parties from the Arab World: The Egyptian Experience”. The presentation unfolded an invitation to Arab Countries to study Egypt’s unique ICSID experience to realize that they can succeed in their investment treaty arbitrations if they judiciously negotiate their international investment contracts and treaties; honestly fulfil their contractual and international obligations; seriously seek to avoid or amicably settle their international investment disputes; faithfully conduct capacity-building training programs for their officials and jurists; and responsibly choose their lawyers and arbitrators. It took Egypt some time to learn the above, but on the whole its experience in recent investment treaty arbitrations is rather positive.