The Differences between the Old Arabitration Law and the New Law in Saudi Law

Saudi arbitration law has witnessed major developments, especially after the amendments of 1433 H. Indeed, with such amendments, Saudi Arbitration Law has been able to be applied in all areas of arbitration at national and international level, and in all stages of the dispute settling process starting from the very initial stages. These stages include the arbitral agreement, the appointment of an arbitral committee, the choice of the procedure to be followed, through to the issuance of the arbitral award and the potential right to appeal, and the arbitrator’s response to the implementation of the award. In effect, with these adjustments, Saudi Arbitration Law has already almost dealt with and responded to what has been stipulated in the international agreements as well as the national laws of the developed countries which are applicable at international and regional levels, and which already have an astounding tradition in the field of arbitration. Still, all those aspects stem from the legal framework that organizes such a process. We have therefore focused on the major developments and differences between the old arbitration law of 1403 H and the new law of 1433, so as to account for the importance of such adjustments in the legal and practical perspective within the field of legislation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.