Arbitration in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been subject to
material reform in recent years which has had a positive effect in
the realm of dispute resolution. The new arbitration law, enacted
by Royal Decree No. M/34 published in the Official Gazette on 8
June 2012 (the "New Arbitration Law")
has facilitated the Kingdom in adopting international norms and
practices when promulgating new laws. This New Arbitration Law is
broadly modelled on the UNCITRAL Model Law and replaces the
previous Arbitration Law issued by Royal Decree No. M/46 on April
25, 1983 and supplemented by an Executive Regulation dated June 22
1987.
The New Arbitration Law has paved the way for the adoption of
'arbitration friendly' provisions that facilitate the
resolution of disputes in the Kingdom and complement the recent
arbitral progress. For example, the UNCITRAL-based New Arbitration
Law led to the enactment, in 2013, of a new enforcement law (the
"Enforcement Law").
