Union President: International Commercial Courts Contribute to the Speed ​​of Fair and Efficient Judges

It enhances Bahrain’s position as an advanced financial, investment and judicial centre in the region and the world.

His Excellency MP Ahmed Sabah Al-Salloum, Chairman of the Arab Union for Trade Facilitation and Risk Management and Chairman of the Bahrain Society for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises, said that signing an agreement between Bahrain and Singapore to establish an international commercial court to settle cross-border commercial disputes would enhance Bahrain's position as a developed financial, investment and judicial center in the region and the world. He pointed out that the two countries aim, through this agreement, to enhance the rule of law at the international level and strengthen international trade by developing international commercial dispute settlement systems. It is, in its entirety, an important qualitative step towards enhancing the rule of law and investment attractiveness, and enhancing access to justice at the international level.

MP Al-Salloum explained that the court will contribute to the speed of fair and efficient litigation, noting that it is expected that the Bahraini International Commercial Court, upon its establishment, will consider all disputes related to international arbitration at a rapid pace, especially since the Bahraini judiciary currently allows the use of the English language in cases ruled by international judges, even at the level of the Court of Cassation.

Al-Saloum stressed that using international arbitration to resolve a dispute instead of traditional litigation can include some advantages, including that international arbitration is flexible, and the parties to the dispute play an important role in choosing the most appropriate procedure to resolve their international dispute. International arbitration can also be confidential, which is useful if the parties wish to continue their commercial relationship or avoid negative publicity.

Al-Saloum pointed out that international arbitration can resolve disputes more quickly than litigation before traditional courts, given the limited number of appeals from arbitration decisions. International arbitration can also be less expensive than traditional lawsuits, and often provides better justice, as many local courts are overburdened with cases, which does not always allow judges enough time to issue high-quality legal decisions.

Al-Saloum stressed that the hoped-for cooperation between the International Commercial Court in Singapore and the International Commercial Court in the Kingdom of Bahrain under this treaty will contribute to providing better standards for means of settling international commercial disputes in a way that goes beyond the current challenges faced by those involved in international trade when trying to settle their disputes.​

This treaty will also contribute to supporting and consolidating the judicial relations between Bahrain and Singapore, which began with the Memorandum of Understanding between the judicial authorities in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of Singapore, which focuses on cooperation in the judicial field, and a memorandum of guidance on the implementation of financial judgments, which were signed during the visit of the Chief Justice of the Republic of Singapore, Mr. Sundaresh Manon, to the Kingdom of Bahrain in May 2023.