Arbitration in Egypt is mainly governed by Arbitration Law No. 27 of 1994. The law is based on the UNCITRAL Model Law, with a few specific rules that apply in Egypt. Egypt is also a member of the New York Convention. This means that foreign arbitration awards can generally be recognised and enforced by Egyptian courts.
CRCICA in Cairo handles many arbitration cases involving Egyptian companies. International businesses may also choose institutions such as the ICC or LCIA. In every case, the contract should define the seat, the language and the applicable rules.
Special care is required when dealing with Egyptian state entities. In some administrative contracts, the arbitration clause must be approved by the competent minister. Without this approval, the clause may later be challenged.
We check these points before the client signs, so a future dispute doesn’t start with an argument about the clause itself.
Our services in this area include:
- Drafting and reviewing arbitration clauses
- Representation in CRCICA proceedings
- ICC, LCIA and other institutional arbitrations
- Ad hoc arbitration under Law 27 of 1994
- Construction and infrastructure disputes
- Energy and oil & gas arbitration
- Shareholder and joint venture disputes
- Investment arbitration advice
- Annulment proceedings before Egyptian courts
- Enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in Egypt
- Enforcement of Egyptian awards abroad
- Interim measures and asset preservation
- Arbitrator appointments and challenges
- Settlement negotiation during proceedings
Enforcement decides many cases. An award against an Egyptian party still goes through the exequatur procedure here, and the losing side may file for annulment. We plan for that stage from the first procedural order.
Fees, timing and strategy differ a lot between a CRCICA case and an ICC case seated abroad. We give clients a realistic picture at the start, in plain terms, so the decision to arbitrate (or settle) is an informed one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Law No. 27 of 1994 governs it. Egyptian courts enforce valid awards as a matter of routine — the grounds for refusing are narrow.
Yes. Egypt joined the New York Convention decades ago. A foreign award still needs an exequatur order from the competent Egyptian court before you can execute it here.
The Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration. It’s the main arbitral institution in Egypt and handles a large share of commercial cases with Egyptian or regional parties, under its own rules.
No fixed answer. A straightforward commercial case often runs a year, sometimes two. Add more time if the losing party seeks annulment or resists enforcement.
Not on the merits, no. The only route is an annulment action before the Egyptian courts, and the grounds are procedural and limited.
It depends on the counterparty and where the assets sit. For cross-border contracts, institutional arbitration is usually the safer pick.
