Riyadh, July (پاکستان پوائنٹ نیوز 01 يوليو 2026ء) The study forms part of the forthcoming edition of the UNCITRAL Digest of Case Law on the Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (Model Law), a leading reference publication by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) that compiles jurisprudence on the Model Law and promotes its harmonized interpretation and application.
Commenting on the study, SCCA Chairman Dr. Walid Abanumay said that the Kingdom has achieved advanced progress in building its dispute resolution framework and in its transformation into an international hub for dispute resolution, through legislative efforts aligned with international standards, particularly the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration, as well as a supportive judicial system that today has a strong track record in assisting arbitration proceedings and enforcing arbitral awards.
This comprehensive report constitutes a 250-page comparative legal analysis examining the influence of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Saudi Arabia’s arbitration framework, including both the current Saudi Arbitration Law and the Draft Arbitration Law currently under consideration. It also assesses judicial practice through an analysis of 967 Saudi court judgments related to arbitration.
With respect to judicial practice, the study’s analysis of more than 3,300 judgments issued by Saudi Courts of Appeal between 2017 and 2025 revealed that the rate of annulment of arbitral awards in the Kingdom is among the lowest globally, not exceeding 8%, in line with leading jurisdictions considered safe international arbitration hubs.
With respect to the legislative framework, the study highlights a clear structural and procedural alignment with the UNCITRAL Model Law in the Saudi Arbitration Law. The Saudi framework has evolved from drawing inspiration from the Model Law to achieving a more advanced level of harmonization and procedural alignment, striking a balance between international standards, the requirements of domestic legislation, and the specific features of the national legal system.
The publication of the study comes in the context of the Kingdom’s comprehensive transformation of its dispute resolution framework under Saudi Vision 2030, during which more than 2,700 legislative instruments have been enacted, amended, or reviewed over the past seven years, alongside over government reforms. These developments have significantly impacted the arbitration landscape in the Kingdom in general, and SCCA in particular, with reforms beginning to yield tangible results reflected in the increasing volume and diversity of cases administered by SCCA. SCCA’s caseload has grown by double digits over the past five years, averaging 62%. In addition, more than 210 cases were registered in the first half of the current year, indicating continued and accelerating growth.
