37 women complete arbitration course

In a first for the country, four Saudi women here have graduated from an arbitration course run jointly by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) and the Gulf Cooperation Council Commercial Arbitration Center (GCCAC).
Umnia Zahri, Shahad Abdul Jawad, Ameera Abdullah and Tamara Ali were awarded their certificates and membership of the arbitrator's panel at a ceremony held at the JCCI headquarters on Tuesday.
A total of 37 students graduated from the seven-month course.
A number of officials attended including Abdul Latif Al-Harithy, undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice; Mazen Batterjee, vice president of the JCCI; Yaseen Khalid Khayyat, president of the GCCAC and president of the Jeddah Lawyers Association; and Ahmed Najam Abdullah Najam, general secretary of the GCCAC and spokesman for the center. There were also judges, lawyers and businessmen present.
Zahri, a human resources graduate, said: “It was our first opportunity to be part of arbitration studies. It was very exciting." She added that the graduates would now be affiliated to the GCC arbitration panel in Bahrain.
Ali, an education graduate, said she did the course because she wants to move into business. “I did it to increase my knowledge of law which will be helpful in future for my business,” she said.
Abdullah, who studied law at King Abdulaziz University, said she wants to become a lawyer.
Najam said the GCCAC has centers in all the Gulf countries. This was the first time a course has been run in Jeddah.
He said he was proud of the first group of graduates and added that they would all become members of the arbitrator's panel.
He said the course covered arbitration agreements and regulations; arbitration proceedings; methodology and rules; provisions and implementation; and mock trials.
Batterjee said the GCCAC was moving to become an internationally recognized center. "Saudi Arabia has a lot of students and people who are interested in becoming arbitrators. With this center we are preparing an excellent future for them.”
He said arbitration was an important part of solving commercial disputes through alternative means.