Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre launches in Dubai

The Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre (EMAC) officially launched at the Dubai Maritime Summit, which took place at the Address Dubai Marina on November 2, 2016, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE.

EMAC has been developed in response to the region’s growing maritime industry, and aims to provide a complete package of services designed to resolve maritime disputes, through arbitration, mediation and other dispute resolution processes. Dedicated to promoting awareness of maritime issues and committed to furthering the region’s maritime infrastructure, the launch of EMAC marks a major milestone for the UAE’s maritime industry as it evolves into one of the world’s most advanced maritime hubs.

The public launch of EMAC commenced with a panel discussion at the Dubai Maritime Summit and featured speakers from the board of trustees: Sir Anthony Colman, chairman of EMAC and former deputy chief justice, DIFC Courts, Dubai; Majid Obaid Bin Bashir, vice chairman and secretary general, EMAC; Edward Newitt, partner, Stephenson Harwood LLP; and Captain Jitendra Misra, managing director, Emarat Maritime LLC; in addition to Mark Beer OBE, chief executive and registrar, DIFC Courts, Dubai International Financial Centre.

Topics discussed by the EMAC panel covered the advantages of EMAC’s arbitration and mediation rules and their impact on potential costs; DIFC’s support for arbitration as a form of dispute resolution, and the need for specialised maritime expertise; the value of making arbitration accessible to the regional maritime industry; and the ways in which EMAC will support the advancement of the UAE’s maritime sector.

Following the summit, an evening reception event was held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, DIFC. Guests were introduced to EMAC’s mission and vision and members of the EMAC Board of Trustees. Members from EMAC included Vice Chairman and Secretary General Mr Majid Obaid bin Bashir, Edward Newitt and Captain Jitendra Misra.

“The launch of Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre marks the start of a new chapter in the Middle East’s rich maritime history,” says Mr Majid Obaid bin Bashir, vice chairman and secretary general of EMAC. “EMAC brings together local, regional and international arbitrators and maritime specialists, with the common goal of ensuring impartial, independent and efficient maritime dispute resolution, as well as uniting legal experts and maritime professionals in the pursuit of best practice and increased awareness of the region’s maritime industry on a global level.”