5^th ANNUAL ARBITRATION CONFERENCE, February 2022

ILS’s 5th Annual Conference on Energy Arbitration and Dispute Resolution in the Middle East and Africa took place on the 10th and 11th February 2022 at the London offices of Herbert Smiths Freehills. The event was sponsored by Grant Thornton and Burford Capital, and supported by a number of international arbitral institutions. The 2-day conference was attended by over one hundred in-person and virtual attendees from across the world and included representatives from government, legal practice, industry, diplomacy and academia. Leading voices in the fields of international law, international relations and energy law discussed the legal, geopolitical, economic and international security dimensions of energy disputes in the Middle East and Africa, as well as offering practical guidance for their successful resolution.

Keynote addresses were delivered by Lord Angus Glennie (Appeal Judge at the Dubai International Financial Centre courts) and Diamana Diawara (Africa Regional Director at the ICC), alongside participation from over 20 high-profile speakers from international arbitral institutions, leading legal practices and specialist academic centres.

4^th ANNUAL ARBITRATION CONFERENCE, March 2018

Our 4^th Annual Conference on Energy Arbitration and Dispute Resolution in the Middle East and Africa evaluated a broad range of technical, economic and diplomatic factors integral to dispute resolution in the region, focusing particularly on the impact of oil price variations and regional security issues across the continent. The unique event brought together numerous high-profile stakeholders from a variety of sectors including government officials, diplomats, arbitration institutions, energy professionals, legal practitioners and academics.

The conference facilitated a high level of knowledge-exchange on the dynamic nature of energy law and, consequently, energy arbitration wherein the notable developments in the international law sphere were consistently reiterated and used to inform the discussion.

3^rd ANNUAL ARBITRATION CONFERENCE, March 2018

In its 3rd year, the Annual Conference on Energy Arbitration and Dispute Resolution in the Middle East and Africa analysed the factors affecting the industry from technical, economic and diplomatic standpoints, with Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Funke Adekoya delivering the keynote speech. The event successfully generated expert insights, high-level theory and, crucially, practical guidance in relation to Dispute Resolution and Arbitration that were shared by key stakeholders including representatives from the energy industry, senior government officials, academics and prominent legal practitioners in this field.

Sessions included discussions surrounding the Impact of the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative on the Middle East and Africa and Energy Poverty in energy-rich countries, with particular attention to regional foci such as East Africa. These specific discussion-points resulted in lively debate in which attendees deliberated how these issues affect parties involved in disputes, with many putting forward strategies that may help to manage the risks associated with international energy contracts.

2^nd ANNUAL ARBITRATION CONFERENCE, March 2017

ILS successfully hosted its 2nd Annual Conference on Energy Arbitration and Dispute Resolution in the Middle East and Africa in March 2017, receiving excellent feedback from delegates on the design and execution of the programme. Having established itself as an industry event after its inaugural 2016 edition, the conference once again facilitated an important medium for like-minded professionals in the energy sector to expand on their knowledge and skills and connect with international peers. Following a keynote speech delivered by Gary Born of Wilmerhale, more than 20 of the leading figures in the field gave regional focus sessions, practical tips for arbitrating energy disputes and in-depth analyses of significant new developments.

1^st Annual Arbitration Conference, March 2016

This Conference was hosted by the London Centre of International Law Practice (LCILP) and co-organised by the Saudi Law Training Centre (SLTC). The Conference addressed the challenges in the then-current context marked by political instability and a drop in oil prices that is currently affecting the energy market in the Middle East and Africa.

Some of the main themes throughout the Conference and Workshops included, amongst others, a global insight into energy arbitration and dispute resolution, energy arbitration in the regional context of Africa and the Middle East and technical legal considerations in energy disputes. Other relevant topics included investor protection, renewable energy and state actors, varying case studies on energy related disputes and more.