Beirut: In the presence of the President of the Beirut Bar Association, Mr. Fadi Masri, and at the initiative of the event's creator, Professor Najib Hage-Chahine, the first edition of 'Beirut Arbitration Days' concluded after attracting more than 1,000 participants from 40 countries, 60 international speakers, and 40 supporting organizations.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Prime Minister Judge Nawaf Salam opened the conference, asserting Lebanon's potential to reclaim its regional and international role in arbitration. The Minister of Justice, Judge Adel Nassar, and the Minister of Information, Dr. Paul Morcos, both expressed the government's commitment to promoting the culture of arbitration. The President of the Bar Association reiterated the Bar's dedication to supporting this initiative.
During the closing session, Professor Najib Hage-Chahine presented ten practical recommendations aimed at establishing Beirut as a central hub for arbitration in the region. These recommendations included urging lawyers to incorporate arbitration clauses in contracts with Beirut as the designated seat, advocating for the judiciary to support arbitrator independence, and calling on legislators to update the Arbitration Law in accordance with the New York Convention.
Further recommendations involved encouraging the government to integrate arbitration into investment policies, urging arbitrators to maintain high standards of transparency and ethics, and calling for experts to adopt precise models for damage assessment. Additionally, arbitration centers were advised to enhance regional cooperation, while universities were encouraged to incorporate arbitration into their curricula.
The event concluded with Professor Hage-Chahine's assertion that 'Beirut has returned as the capital of Arab arbitration', and an invitation to the next edition, 'Beirut Arbitration Days 2026', under the slogan Beirut Nutrix Legum.