Professor Dr Mohamed Abdel Wahab C.Arb is recognised as a world leader in dispute resolution and is an international arbitrator and arbitration practitioner with considerable expertise and experience in international investment and international commercial arbitration, Islamic Shari’a, construction, energy, telecommunications, finance and online dispute resolution. He is Chair of the Private International Law Department and Professor of International Arbitration at Cairo University and the Founding Partner and Head of International Arbitration, Construction and Energy at Zulficar & Partners Law Firm.

He is Vice President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration and Member of the ICCA Governing Board, and holds a number of other prominent positions, including with the International Bar Association, Le Centre International de Médiation et d’Arbitrage de Casablanca (CIMAC), the Mauritius International Arbitration Centre (MIAC), the Lagos Chamber of Commerce International Arbitration Centre (LACIAC) and the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA). He features in ‘Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration’, ‘Who’s Who Legal: Construction’, the GAR Global Guide for Future Leaders in International Arbitration (2017 - 2018) and Who’s Who Legal Thought Leaders: International Arbitration (2017 - 2020), amongst others, and has received the 2018 ASA International Arbitration Advocacy Prize, the 2019 AYA Hall of Fame Award and the 2020 Client’s Choice International Award. In November 2020, he was appointed as Chair of the Expert Advisory Committee of the Permanent Forum of China Construction Law (PFCCL).  

Eng. Saad Hegazy FCIArb is an arbitrator, CEDR-accredited mediator, and testified delay and quantum expert with over 20 years of experience across the MENA and GCC regions. He holds a BSc in Civil Engineering, an MSc in Strategic Project Management, and an LLM in Construction Law and International Arbitration.

Saad’s expertise spans complex projects, including airports, metros, infrastructure, oil and gas, LNG, water treatment, utilities, and luxury high-rise buildings. He is frequently appointed as an expert in arbitration and litigation for high-stakes disputes exceeding USD 2 billion, testifying in both English and Arabic.

Before setting her world record, Catherine held Chief Executive Officer roles at NHS Resolution (the indemnifier for the NHS), a University College and at the Law Society of England and Wales.

Catherine also held Senior Executive Director, Legal Director and General Counsel roles at the NSPCC, BUPA and in Canada, at Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.

Catherine started her professional career as a commercial litigator solicitor in private practice including at Eversheds Sutherland.

Catherine has been involved in effective dispute resolution throughout her career including as an adviser, mediator, and client. Catherine formally introduced mediation into the NHS in England which has resulted in ADR being used effectively to resolve claims across the NHS.

She has served as a trustee and non-executive director on numerous boards, including the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), LawWorks, Queens (King) Counsels Appointments, Chamber of Commerce, Judicial Appointments, and other large charities and has campaigned on human rights, rule of law and access to justice issues for most of her career.

Catherine served as an officer in the British Army and has the Freedom of the City of London.

Catherine has an MBA, is a solicitor, an accredited mediator, a Member of Ciarb, a CMI Charted Companion, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Dr Nasser Mehsin Al-Adba is Managing Partner at Omani & Partners LLP. He is also, Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Qatar Branch), & Professor of International Investment Law at Qatar University.

Mercy Okiro MCIArb brings over a decade of post-admission experience to her practice. She has acted as sole arbitrator, mediator, and construction adjudicator in disputes in various industries. Mercy is on the panel of Neutrals of various institutions locally and regionally.

She was feted in 2019 as the “The Young African Arbitration Practitioner of the year 2019”, was listed as one of Africa’s Most Promising Young Arbitrators 2020, 2021 and 2022 by the Association of Young Arbitrators, named as 2nd runner ADR Practitioner of the Year in 2021 by the Law Society of Kenya, Nairobi Branch. She was awarded the Jury’s Award in 2023 for her contributions to ADR by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Kenya.

Mercy is an active member of the arbitration community and sits on the IBA 40 Arbitration Committee, the Council of the Association of Young Arbitrators, is an Advisory Board member of the Lagos Court of Arbitration (Young Arbitrators Network) and a Steering Committee Member of the Equality for Representation in Arbitration, Africa.

She was an ICC YAAF Representative for Africa and MENA, sat on the Steering Committee of the Young Members Group of Ciarb London, and was the founding Chair of the Young Members Group of CIArb Kenya. She also served as an Ambassador for the Alliance for Equality in Dispute Resolution, Arbitrator Intelligence and Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers(REAL).

Mercy's academic background includes a Master of Arts in International Studies and Diplomacy from the University of Nairobi and a Master of Laws degree in International Commercial and Investment Arbitration from the Queen Mary University of London.

Dr Abayomi Okubote FCIArb MBA has garnered significant experience in dispute resolution and commercial practice. He was part of the teams that represented multinational and domestic corporations in high-profile commercial disputes and has advised government agencies on several cutting-edge projects in Africa.

Dr Okubote has been engaged as counsel in several international arbitrations. He has also been appointed arbitrator in several domestic and international arbitrations in African countries. He was featured in the Legal 500 Africa Arbitration Powerlist 2021 as “one of the thought leaders of arbitration in Africa.” He is listed in leading directories, including Who’s Who Legal Arbitration (Partners), and recently won the Lexology Client Choice Awards 2024 (Nigeria, Arbitration).  

Professor Dr Nayla Comair-Obeid C.Arb FCIArb is the founding partner of Obeid & Partners and heads the firm's dispute resolution practice since 1987. She is an Associate Member at 3VB Barristers Chambers in London, and member of the Beirut Bar and the Paris Bar. Prof Comair-Obeid has been identified amongst the world’s foremost arbitrator practitioners by internationally renowned legal publications, referring to her as "grand dame of Middle East arbitration", "legendary lawyer" who is "really prepared, knows the issues and gets it right".

She has been actively involved in more than 170 domestic and international investment and complex commercial arbitrations as a party appointed arbitrator, chairperson, sole arbitrator, counsel and expert in Arabic, French and English-language. She has been engaged in mega construction projects in the MENA and have developed an expertise and knowledge of complex construction disputes in the region. She regularly deals with contracts based on FIDIC forms of contract with Sharia law influences and has extensive knowledge in the legal principles of the applicable substantive law in the MENA region. Through her comparative legal expertise and technical skills, she performed with professional excellence and gained the reputation of a specialist in this industry.

She has been identified Arbitrator Intelligence’s Presiding Arbitrator of the Year for 2020. Throughout her career, Professor Comair-Obeid has held and continues to hold pre-eminent positions in many of the major institutions. She is the former Vice Chair of the ICC and has been a member ICC Executive Board since 2019. She is a member of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) Governing Board. Additionally, Professor Comair-Obeid is currently a trustee of the Cairo Regional Center for International Commercial Arbitration.

She is a Board Member of Women’s Leadership Board of the Women and Public Policy Program (WAPPP) at the Harvard Kennedy School, amongst others. She is former president of the Ciarb (2017) and former Vice Chair of the arbitration committee in the International Bar Association Professor Dr Comair-Obeid publishes prolifically and is regularly invited to lecture at world renowned academic institutions where her articles and scholarly publications are often cited as reference works. Professor Comair-Obeid is also a Professor of private law and international arbitration at the Lebanese University, visiting Professor at University Panthéon-Assas Paris II, and lecturer at University of Oxford for the Ciarb International Commercial Arbitration Diploma.

Sapna Jhangiani KC C.Arb FCIArb has twenty-five years’ experience in appearing before courts and tribunals, and sitting as an arbitrator or mediator, in complex commercial disputes seated all over the world. She has practised in London, New York, Dubai and Singapore and is called to the Bar in England & Wales, Singapore and the British Virgin Islands. She holds an undergraduate degree from Oxford University, and a diploma in international commercial arbitration from Queen Mary University, London, in which she graduated with distinction.

Sapna is consistently ranked in the leading legal directories, and has been described as “excellent”, “tenacious”, “a charming advocate” and a “true all-rounder” with “excellent advocacy skills” and “excellent written advocacy”. She was recognised by Asian Legal Business as one of Asia’s top 15 female lawyers.

Sapna is a Chartered Arbitrator and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, as well as the past Chair of the Singapore branch of the Institute. Alongside her independent practice as an advocate, arbitrator and mediator, she is a Judge in the Court of Appeal of the DIFC Court

Nurul Sabri FCIArb is an Associate Director at HKA. She specialises in quantum and has significant experience in the alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Nurul is a dual-qualified quantity surveyor with a law degree (LLB) and LLM with over 16 years of experience in the construction industry.

Nurul has worked on international arbitration and adjudication proceedings and is experienced in acting as an Assistant to the Arbitral Tribunal and appointed quantum Experts.

Nurul experience portfolio includes many large scale and complex projects across various sectors throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Nurul is a RICS Registered Expert Witness, an accredited HKIAC Tribunal Secretary, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Ciarb), and a Member of Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS).

Nurul has been on the Board Members of the Ciarb Qatar Branch since 2020. Previously served as the Director of Events, she is currently the Honorary Secretary of the Branch.

Dr Ghada M. Darwish Karbon FCIArb is a prominent Qatari lawyer and the founder and managing partner of her law firm, established in 2012. Over her 12-year career, she has gained recognition and held in international legal and sports arbitration bodies. Her roles include serving as an arbitrator with the Qatar Sports Arbitration Foundation, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, and other arbitration centres across Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai. She has also chaired Qatar’s Anti-Doping Hearing Panel and contributed to global sports law as a member of bodies like the Badminton World Federation’s hearing panel and the Fédération Internationale de Natation’s legal committee.

Dr. Ghada’s academic qualifications include a Bachelor’s in Sharia and Law from Qatar University, a PhD in Public Law from Cairo University, and multiple advanced degrees in sports law, international law, and arbitration with the Lleida Universität Spain, Qatar Olympic Academy. Her expertise in sports law has led her to participate actively in key international events, including seminars with the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Women in Sports Law Association. She has represented Qatar in global conferences and served on business delegations, such as the Qatar-U.S. Economic Forum and the Qatar-Germany Business and Investment Forum.

Her law firm, the Dr. Ghada M. Darwish Karbon Law Firm has grown and has been recognized for its excellence, winning the “Qatar Law Firm of the Year” award in 2016. The firm provides comprehensive legal services, covering arbitration, corporate law, sports law, and intellectual property, and has established a reputation for quality in Qatari legal circles. A published speaker and frequent media guest, Dr. Ghada is also a founding member of international legal alliances, actively promoting cross-border legal collaboration and women’s representation in sports law.

Vanessa Malaluan FCIArb LLM MBA is an independent consultant with over 19 years’ experience in the construction and oil & gas industries, specialising in planning & scheduling, project controls, claims and defence, and alternative dispute resolution. She works as a subconsultant for consulting firms such as Rathmore Consulting LLC and QUALIS Delay Expert Services. Moreover, she recently established her own company in the Philippines– Pinnaclecore Academy.

She holds several qualifications, such as Master of Laws in Construction Law and Arbitration, Master of Business Administration, and Postgraduate Diploma in Law from reputable UK universities (i.e., Robert Gordon University and BPP Law School). She also acquired BSc Degree in Civil Engineering and has gained over 14 years working in the Middle East region. 

Ms. Malaluan is a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a Fellow Member of the Philippine Institute of Arbitrators (PIArb), and an Associate Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). She is both PMP and PMI-RMP certified, and the first Filipino to acquire the status of an RICS Registered Expert Witness in the MENA region. In 2022, she was elected as one of the Board Members of Ciarb Qatar Branch and since then, she has actively contributed to organising arbitration conferences and CPD events in Doha.

In addition, Ms. Malaluan has extensive experience in the preparation and assessment of time extension and prolongation claims, disruption claims, and any other costs claims. She has acted as a witness of fact and has assisted a testifying delay expert in several arbitration cases in Qatar and UAE. Moreover, she has also assisted a quantum expert for the independent assessment of the contractor’s claim for a high value project in Saudi Arabia

Furthermore, Ms. Malaluan has been nominated as the MBA Student Representative of the Year in 2022, followed by the receipt of an MBA Strategy Award for Sustainability in 2023 from RGU Aberdeen Business School. Additionally, she has been recognised as one of the Top Engineers in the Middle East by The Filipino Times. She also plays badminton during her free time and supports initiatives related to quality education and greener arbitration.

Richard McConn FCIArb is a Board Director at D.G. Jones & Partners, specializing in executive financial and contractual management for government entities and global businesses. With a focus on major capital programs in transportation, national infrastructure, and property development, Richard brings over three decades of expertise in delivering successful project outcomes.

For more than 16 years, Richard has led the executive surveying services on Qatar’s Hamad International Airport program, overseeing a team of 50+ professionals managing high-value projects under demanding schedules. Known for his client-facing approach and exceptional communication skills, he excels at identifying potential disputes early and delivering practical, timely contractual solutions.

With a strong background in quantity surveying, contractual management, and project delivery, Richard engages effectively with stakeholders at all levels. He leverages his extensive experience to align design, contract, finance, and dispute resolution, ensuring integrated and seamless project execution for clients.

Under Richard’s leadership, his team prioritizes precise alignment of pre-contract documentation with post-contract delivery, delivering proactive cost control, commercial oversight, and contractual management. By providing clear, high-level reporting through dashboards, they empower client steering groups with actionable insights on cost, program, risk, and disputes.

Richard and his team are trusted advisors, offering value-added services either as embedded client team members or as part of integrated PMCM teams. Their work consistently aligns client commercial interests with national and international supply chains, fostering collaborative solutions that drive project success.

Calm, meticulous, and solutions-driven, Richard brings clarity to complex challenges. For more on his experience, visit the D.G. Jones & Partners website.