Global Vantage: Saudi Arabia’s International Arbitration Ambitions

Saudi Arabia is quietly repositioning itself as a serious international arbitration destination, and the legal framework is catching up fast.

Earlier this year, we reported on China’s revised Arbitration Law coming into force (Global Vantage | Revised Arbitration Law of China comes into force). We have been watching a broader global trend: jurisdictions actively competing with established hubs — London, Singapore and Dubai — by modernising their arbitration regimes. Saudi Arabia is the latest and most significant example.

On 24 September 2025, the Kingdom published a Draft Arbitration Law for consultation, with the clear aim of bringing its framework in line with international best practice.

Alongside the legislative reform, the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) has released a landmark publication: Arbitration in Saudi Arabia: Case Law and Legislative Analysis in Light of the UNCITRAL Model Law and Saudi Arbitration Framework – Country Report. It is essential reading for any party considering Saudi Arabia as a seat or with arbitration exposure in the region.

The key findings of the Country Report include:

• The Saudi judiciary is firmly pro-arbitration. Of 3,300 judgments issued between 2017-2025, 565 involved applications to annul arbitral awards. Of these, 92% were rejected. Full annulment was granted in 31 cases (5.5%) and partial annulment in 16 cases (2.8%). Only 13 annulments (2.3% of all annulled awards) were based on violations of Sharia principles or public policy, which the report identifies as evidence of the Saudi judiciary’s generally pro-arbitration approach.
• The SCCA’s own court data reinforces this picture. Of 967 court arbitration-related judgments analysed, 194 concerned annulment applications. Annulment was granted in 20 cases (10.3%), comprising 12 full annulments (6.2%) and 8 partial annulments (4.1%). 4 annulments (2%) were based on violations of Sharia principles or public policy.
• The Draft Arbitration Law embraces the future of proceedings. It adopts a pro-digitalisation approach, expressly permitting electronic service of notices, remote hearings, and the electronic issuance and signing of arbitral awards. This reflects broader efforts to align Saudi Arabia’s arbitration framework, both procedurally and structurally, with the UNCITRAL Model Law.

The Draft Arbitration Law remains under legislative review. We will continue to monitor developments closely and will provide a further update as enactment becomes clearer.

For more information on the above it is worth considering – Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration: To Enhance Transparency and Strengthen Legal Certainty… SCCA Maps the Evolution of Saudi Arabia’s Arbitration Landscape in a Comprehensive Legislative and Judicial Study Submitted to UNCITRAL (1 July 2026).

If you have arbitration matters with a Saudi nexus — whether as seat, governing law, or enforcement jurisdiction — or if you would like to discuss how these reforms may affect your position, please do not hesitate to reach out to our international arbitration team.

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Includes contributions from Kayleigh Rhodes