The first AIA meeting in Doha was held on 27 February 2016 in The Ritz Carlton hotel (Doha, Qatar). Prominent arbitrators and ADR specialists from Qatar and the UAE have attended the reception as well as the lunch in La Mer restaurant in The Ritz Carlton hotel. 

 

The discussion during the reception was moderated by Professor Paula Young, who prompted a stimulating conversation between the participants. The following questions were posed: 

 

- Does the region have a sufficient number of ADR specialists (arbitrators, early neutral evaluations, mediators, etc.) to handle disputes arising here? 

- What kind of training should such ADR specialists have available to them in the region (substantive, procedural, ethical, cultural)?

- How do we build demand for ADR services among businesses, government entities, civil society and courts? 

- How do we help lawyers understand ADR and its uses in disputes that they handle on behalf of clients? How do we help them advise clients about arbitration, mediation and other ADR processes? 

The participants exchanged their opinions on, among others, arbitration as the leading form of ADR in the region particularly in anticipation of The World Cup, governments' understanding as to whether arbitration can provide justice and the use of mediation in the region. 

 

And the lively discussion continued during the three-course meal lunch in La Mer restaurant