CRCICA Concludes Its Groundbreaking FinTech Arbitration Conference
Cairo, February 17, 2025 – The Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA) convened a groundbreaking conference titled “The Future of Finance: Legal Innovation and Arbitration in a Digital World – Opportunities and Challenges in the FinTech Era.” Hosted at CRCICA’s premises in Zamalek and in partnership with SOAS University of London’s Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Centre (SADRC), the event was sponsored by Nour and Partners in association with Al-Tamimi and Company, and Shalakany Law Firm. The high-profile conference brought together distinguished judges, economists, legal and arbitration professionals, and FinTech pioneers to explore the challenges and opportunities in today’s rapidly evolving digital finance landscape.
The conference opened with inspiring addresses by Dr. Ismail Selim—Director of CRCICA and President of the International Federation of Commercial Arbitration Institutions—and Professor Steven Finizio, Professor of Practice at SOAS and Deputy Director of its Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Centre. Their remarks underscored the urgent need to adapt legal frameworks to support innovative financial services.
Mr. Ahmed Monir, Head of the Regulatory Sandbox and General Manager, Dept. FinTech & Innovation at the Central Bank of Egypt, delivered the keynote address, detailing how regulatory sandboxes are reshaping financial services and positioning Egypt as a regional FinTech hub.
The conference then unfolded through a series of dynamic panel discussions:
- Panel 1: Arbitration for FinTech
Moderated by Mr. Hazim Rizkana, Managing Partner of Rizkana & Partners, this session featured esteemed Dr. Amel Makhlouf, Independent Counsel & Arbitrator (Paris), Management Committee Member, SADRC (London), and Advisory Committee Member, CRCICA; Dr. Hedayet Heikal, Assistant Professor of Law at America University in Cairo; and Dr. Amr Abbas, Partner & Head of Arbitration at Matouk and Bassiouny. They examined the evolving legal landscape of FinTech dispute resolution, offering practical guidance on drafting effective arbitration clauses and addressing challenges posed by emerging technologies such as blockchain and smart contracts. - Panel 2: Regional Challenges and Opportunities
Moderated by Dr. Khaled Attia, Partner and Head of the Dispute Resolution Group at Al Tamimi & Company’s Cairo office, this discussion featured contributions from Engineer Sherif Yehia Abdelghany, Deputy Assistant Chairman for Information Technology and Digital Transformation at the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA); Mr. Sameh Dahroug, Partner at Barakat, Maher & Partners in association with Clyde & Co; Ms. Dina Hashish, Board Member of Tamweely; Mr. Mohamed El-Shabrawy El-Feky, Founder & CEO at Sympl; and Mr. Antony Sobhy, Co-Founder & CEO of Trevi | Board Member at Loynova. The panel explored the regulatory, financial, and technological hurdles facing the FinTech industry and shared diverse strategies for overcoming these challenges. - Panel 3: Future Outlook
Moderated by Mr. Adam Shalakany, Senior Partner at Shalakany Law Office, this final panel focused on emerging trends in FinTech dispute resolution. Speakers included Dr. Jonathan Ercanbrack, Senior Lecturer at SOAS University of London and Director of the Centre of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law (CIMEL); Mr. Hossam Gramon, Head of Banking at ADSERO; Mr. Gamal Abou Ali, Partner at Hassouna & Abou Ali; and Dr. Ismail Selim, Director of CRCICA. This panel discussed the integration of AI, the rise of smart contracts, and the development of Sharia-compliant FinTech products, outlining the future legal challenges in an increasingly digitalized financial landscape.
Dr. Ismail Selim presented model clauses for FinTech B-to-C agreements and introduced the new CRCICA Expedited Rules. He emphasized that these rules are available on an opt-in basis—parties must explicitly state their choice to adopt CRCICA’s Expedited Rules in their contracts. Dr. Selim encouraged legal practitioners to propose these clauses to all clients, not solely FinTech ventures. He also highlighted that incorporating CRCICA’s Expedited Rules in fee agreements is becoming a trend, offering a cost-effective arbitration process with completion within three to six months. For precise cost estimates, participants were directed to the CRCICA Cost Calculator.
The conference concluded with closing remarks from Dr. Amel Makhlouf and Dr. Ismail Selim, who recapped the day’s key insights and reaffirmed the vital role of innovative arbitration practices in maintaining trust and efficiency within the FinTech ecosystem.
CRCICA’s conference presented a forward-thinking agenda for the integration of legal innovation and FinTech, underscoring the pivotal role of arbitration in resolving the complex challenges of the digital age.
