Related Articles

• 
  March 2026: Data drives regional projects

  27 March 2026

  Click here to download the PDF

  Includes: Commodity tracker | Top 10 global contractors | Brent spot price | Construction output

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  MEED’s April 2026 report on Saudi Arabia includes:

  > GVT &: ECONOMY: Riyadh navigates a changed landscape
  > BANKING: Testing times for Saudi banks
  > UPSTREAM: Offshore oil and gas projects to dominate Aramco capex in 2026
  > DOWNSTREAM: Saudi downstream projects market enters lean period
  > POWER: Wind power gathers pace in Saudi Arabia
  > WATER: Sharakat plan signals next phase of Saudi water expansion
  > CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction enters a period of strategic readjustment
  > TRANSPORT: Rail expansion powers Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure push

  To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here

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  MEED Editorial
• 
  Redefining the region’s arbitration landscape

  27 March 2026

  

   

  In the midst of increasing international investments and commercial transactions in the Middle East, arbitration remains a key component for the resolution of complex commercial disputes. Its effectiveness, however, depends not only on arbitral tribunals, but also on how national courts define their roles in oversight and enforcement.

  Recent trends in the Middle East have shown a more disciplined judicial approach with a clearer delineation of roles between courts and arbitral tribunals.

  Enforcement: a narrower approach

  Enforcement of foreign awards has been a key area of development.

  In the UAE, the Committee for the Unification of Federal and Local Judicial Principles ruled in Petition No. 1 of 2025 that an award shall be valid and enforceable provided the arbitrators sign only the final page. Referring to earlier Dubai Court of Cassation decisions (1), the Committee noted that procedural rules should not be used to defeat substantive rights and that legal procedures are meant to serve justice, not to create technical barriers. 

  The Dubai Court of Cassation adopted the same approach, confirming that arbitrators are not required to sign every page of the award and that issues already examined during arbitration, including signatory capacity, cannot be reopened at the enforcement stage. (2) 

  A similar emphasis on clarity can be seen in Saudi Arabia, where the Arbitration Law is currently under review, with the aim of modernising the legislative framework and enhancing predictability. The draft reform includes clearer provisions regarding court–tribunal interaction, permits courts to stay annulment proceedings or enforcement challenges for up to 60 days to enable tribunals to cure defects, and confirms that partial and interim awards have the authority of a final judgment and are directly enforceable.

  The ADGM and Dubai Courts have also introduced a system of reciprocal enforcement of ratified arbitral awards without the need to re-examine the underlying award.

  These developments therefore suggest a narrower approach and a reduced scope for expansive review at the enforcement stage.

  Recent trends have shown a more disciplined judicial approach with a clearer delineation of roles between courts and arbitral tribunals

  Judicial intervention: limits of review

  Courts have also refined the scope of annulment and supervisory review.

  The Abu Dhabi Court of Cassation clarified that annulment is not an appeal on the merits. Courts may not reweigh evidence or revisit a tribunal’s interpretation of the law. The grounds of annulment remain limited to the statutory grounds set out in the Federal Arbitration Law. (3)

  Egyptian courts likewise limit grounds for annulment to exhaustively listed statutory grounds, excluding reassessment of the merits.

  In the wider regional landscape, Morocco’s arbitration reform demonstrates a similar trajectory. The updated framework modernises the regime and clarifies the supportive role of domestic courts, reinforcing a structured balance between oversight and arbitral autonomy.

  Across these jurisdictions, review powers are increasingly exercised within defined legal parameters rather than through re-examination of arbitral reasoning.

  Public policy: a limited exception

  Public policy continues to be a ground for refusing enforcement, but recent decisions suggest it is applied with greater restraint. For instance, in the UAE, the imposition of compound interest is not considered to be in contravention of public policy. (4) At the DIFC level, the Court specified that the refusal on public policy grounds is subject to a high standard and is only justified where enforcement would “violate the forum state’s most basic notions of morality and justice”. (5)

  Saudi Arabia recognises sharia compliance and public policy as potential grounds for refusal. While rooted in the foundations of its legal system, they operate within defined statutory boundaries.

  Public policy therefore functions as a defined safeguard rather than a vehicle for broad review.

  Implications for cross-border activity

  Where enforcement review is confined to the grounds set out in the New York Convention and annulment remains limited to statutory bases, the interaction between tribunals and courts becomes more predictable. In disputes involving assets across multiple states, this delineation contributes to greater certainty at the post-award stage.

  The complementary role of the ICC

  Institutional practice operates alongside these developments.

  The ICC Court and its Secretariat ensure proceedings are conducted with care, independence, impartiality and integrity, in strict compliance with the Court’s obligations and duties under its rules. In doing so, the Court and the Secretariat monitor cases to safeguard due process and procedural fairness.

  One of the distinctive features of ICC arbitration and a cornerstone of the Rules is the Court’s scrutiny of all draft awards. Such a process serves to enhance the quality of the award, improve its general accuracy and persuasiveness; and maximise its legal effectiveness by identifying any defects that could be used in an attempt to have it set aside at the place of arbitration or resist its enforcement elsewhere. 

  In complex, multi-contract and multi-jurisdictional disputes, this scrutiny plays an important role in safeguarding enforceability across different jurisdictions. 

  As courts continue to define the limits of intervention, institutional discipline and judicial oversight increasingly operate side by side, reinforcing confidence in arbitration across the Middle East.

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  1. Dubai Court of Cassation – Cases No. 109/2022 and No. 403/2020  2. Dubai Court of Cassation – Appeals Nos. 778 and 887 of 2025  3. Abu Dhabi Court of Cassation – Cases Nos. 1115/2024 and No. 166/2024  4. Dubai Court of Cassation – Appeals Nos. 778 and 887 of 2025  5. DIFC Court of Appeal’s decision dated 9 January 2025

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  About the author
  Laetitia Rabbat is deputy counsel, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Abu Dhabi

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• 
  Algeria tenders multibillion-dollar railway construction

  27 March 2026

  Algeria’s state railway company, the Agence Nationale d’Etudes et de Suivi de la Realisation des Investissements Ferroviaires (Anesrif), has tendered two contracts worth more than $2.5bn for the construction of the Laghouat-Ghardaia-El-Meniaa railway line.

  The contract scope covers the construction of 495 kilometres (km) of railway in two sections, the acquisition of rolling stock and other associated works.

  The tenders were issued on 25 March, with bids due by 24 May.

  The first line will run between Laghouat and Ghardaia, covering 265km. It will include 21 viaducts, one tunnel, 55 pipe crossings and five stations.

  The project is split into four sections:

  • Section A: Laghouat-Bellil (72.6km)
  • Section B: Bellil-Bouzbier (40.4km)
  • Section C: Bouzbier-Oued N’chou (69km)
  • Section D: Oued N’chou-Metlili (47km)

  Passenger trains will operate at up to 220 kilometres per hour (km/h), and freight trains at up to 100km/h. The railway will largely follow national road RN01.

  The construction cost of this section is expected to be about $1.4bn.

  The second line will run from Ghardaia to El-Meniaa. The 230km railway will start at Metlili station and extend south to El-Meniaa.

  The line will serve Mansourah, Hassi Lefhel and El-Meniaa, as well as the planned new town of Hassi El-Gara.

  It will comprise six viaducts, 35 railway structures and three stations.

  Passenger trains will operate at up to 220km/h, while freight trains will run at up to 100km/h.

  This section is expected to cost $1.2bn.

  Earlier this month, MEED reported that Anesrif had formally started the procurement process for its multibillion-dollar Laghouat-Ghardaia-El-Meniaa railway project.

  International and local firms were given until 8 March to submit expressions of interest for the overall client’s engineer role on the 495km development.

  Consultancies were also given until 12 March to bid for two separate contracts covering project supervision and control of the first 265km section between Laghouat and Ghardaia, and the 230km line between Ghardaia and El-Meniaa.

  The project received major backing in December last year when the African Development Bank approved a €747.32m ($870m) loan to finance it.

  In September last year, MEED reported that Algeria’s Prime Minister, Nadir Larbaoui, had signed an executive decree that “formalised the declaration of public utility of two strategic sections of the future Algiers-Tamanrasset railway line”.

  

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Roshn tenders Marafy residential plots in Jeddah

  27 March 2026

  

   

  Saudi gigaproject developer Roshn has tendered a contract inviting firms to bid for the development of two mixed-use residential plots at its Marafy project in Jeddah.

  The first plot comprises low-rise residential buildings covering more than 92,000 square metres (sq m). The development will feature about 304 residential units.

  The second plot comprises canal-side low-rise buildings offering more than 357 residential units across an area of over 96,000 sq m.

  The bid submission deadline is 19 April.

  Roshn began construction on its Marafy project in February 2024.

  The mixed-use development, launched in August 2023, will serve over 130,000 residents and feature an 11-kilometre-long man-made canal.

  In October 2023, Roshn awarded a SR690m ($184m) early works contract to the local Projects Company for Marine Services. The contract scope includes ground excavation and shore protection works.

  Marafy will comprise several districts, including Roshn’s existing Alarous integrated residential development.

  MEED previously reported that Roshn had appointed US-based Jacobs and Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo as the project consultants.

  In a statement, Roshn said the Marafy districts will connect to each other and to the rest of Jeddah via an intermodal transport system including water taxis, bus lines, a dedicated metro station and a direct canal link to King Abdulaziz International airport.

  Established in 2018, Roshn aims to increase homeownership among Saudi citizens to 70%. The company plans to develop more than 395,000 residential units in Riyadh, Mecca, Asir and the Eastern Region.

  Roshn is developing the Sedra community in northeast Riyadh, which is masterplanned to include 30,000 homes built in eight phases.

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  Yasir Iqbal
• 
  Libya pipeline expected to take 10 days to repair

  27 March 2026

  

   

  Repairs to a key oil pipeline connected to Libya’s Sharara field are expected to take 10 more days to complete, according to industry sources.

  The damage to the pipeline has reduced Libya’s oil production by several hundred thousand barrels a day, sources said.

  “The country is losing out on a lot of revenue right now because of this pipeline problem,” said one source. “The country should be producing more oil right now in order to capitalise on high oil prices, but in fact the country has reduced production.

  “Hopefully, all of the repairs will be conducted without issues and the pipeline will be brought back online in 10 days.”

  Earlier this week, Libya’s security authorities recovered two exploded projectiles from a damaged crude oil pipeline connected to the Sharara oil field.

  The two exploded ‌projectiles were an M-62 Russian-made missile weighing approximately 250kg and remnants of a 130mm rocket.

  The ministry posted photos on its verified Facebook page showing the remains of the projectiles on the ground near what appeared to be the damaged pipeline.

  “The projectiles were handled according to approved technical and security procedures, the site was fully secured, and ​the necessary measures were taken to ensure the safety of the area ​and prevent any potential risks,” the ministry said.

  Last week, after a fire broke out at the pipeline, Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) redirected flow from the Sharara oil field via the El-Feel pipeline to Mellitah port and through the Hamada pipeline to storage tanks in Zawiya.

  These alternative routes do not have the same capacity as the pipeline that has been taken offline, and the incident has forced the El-Feel oil field into a full shutdown.

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  Wil Crisp