An all-round PLAYER

As a sharia-compliant investment group, SEDCO Holding manages multiple asset classes and is mainly focused on the education, hospitality, and healthcare sectors.

SCCA was established as the official representative of Saudi Arabia internationally and within the Kingdom in all matters related to the enhancement and development of local and international arbitration of commercial disputes. Today, two-thirds of our panel of mediators and arbitrators are non-Saudis, hailing from 23 countries around the world, with expertise in 15 specialized areas of our increasingly diverse economy. The international benchmark for a new center to secure its first case is between five and 10 years, but notably, SCCA was able to register a number of cases in the first 18 months, with some of these claims exceeding USD100 million. Parties are just as comfortable working with SCCA and arbitrating in Saudi Arabia as they are in jurisdictions around the world.

HAMED MERAH How does KN&P fit into the legal landscape of Saudi Arabia, and what are your key areas of focus?

business environment and attract further investment. Increasing and broadening awareness on the legal side continues to drive many of our activities. We have conducted a series of roadshows and industry seminars in the UK, US, KSA, and UAE, and we are delighted that companies have been naming SCCA as the institutional ADR provider in their dispute resolution clauses.

What is your assessment on the current framework around joint ventures?

There are some restricted practices by the government where one must have a local Saudi partner; for example, if they seek to acquire EPC licenses, a local partner with an engineering license must represent a minimum 25%. For trading licenses, the minimum required capital is SAR26 million, whereas the foreign ceiling for ownership is 75%. At present, however, they are making exceptions for companies such as Apple and Amazon.

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