CEO of Qatar International Court Highlights to QNA its Role in Developing Country's Judicial, Legal Thought

Doha, September 03 (QNA) - Chief Executive Officer of the Qatar International Court Faisal bin Rashid Al Sahouti affirmed that over the past 15 years, the Court has played an important role in advancing judicial and legal thought in the country and contributing to the consolidation of the principles of the rule of law. He highlighted the significant impact of its establishment in strengthening the investment environment at the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), and subsequently in the free zones, by providing a specialized and independent judiciary to adjudicate disputes falling within its jurisdiction.
In an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) marking the 15th anniversary of the Court's establishment, Al Sahouti noted that throughout its history, the Qatar International Court has established numerous important judicial principles and rules, particularly in commercial and investment disputes and employment disputes within the QFC. He said the Court had become one of Qatar's prominent institutions of justice, playing an active role in developing the country’s judicial system and enhancing its standing internationally.
Regarding the Court's impact on the competitiveness of Qatar's economy, its Chief Executive Officer explained that this impact was measured not only by the number of cases heard or judgments issued by the Court, but also by the extent to which the judicial system contributes to providing a stable, reliable and investment-friendly legal environment. In this context, he highlighted the continued growth of the QFC, noting that, according to its Economic Impact Assessment Report issued last June, the number of companies registered with the QFC had exceeded 4,700 by the beginning of 2026. The QFC also contributed 2.2 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, amounting to QAR 17.4 billion, and 3.5 percent of Qatar's non-hydrocarbon GDP in 2024, according to the same report. In addition, companies registered with the QFC managed assets worth QAR 152 billion. He said these figures underscored the importance of having an effective and specialized judicial system capable of keeping pace with expanding economic activity and strengthening confidence and stability in the business and investment environment.
Al Sahouti highlighted the numerous transformations and important milestones in the Court's development over the past 15 years. Among the most significant was the granting of jurisdiction over arbitration matters under Arbitration Law No. 2 of 2017, which represented an important milestone and demonstrated the Qatari legislator’s confidence in the Court's role in international commercial arbitration and the intention for it to play a leading role in supporting and developing Qatar's international commercial arbitration framework.
He also pointed to the notable evolution in the nature and scope of cases brought before the Court, particularly following the expansion of its jurisdiction under Law No. 15 of 2021, amending certain provisions of Law No. 34 of 2005 concerning free zones. The amendment granted the Court jurisdiction over civil and commercial disputes arising between companies registered in the free zones. He said this expansion reflected the evolution of the Court’s role as part of the legal and judicial infrastructure supporting Qatar's business and investment environment. It also broadened the range of cases before the Court, which now hears disputes relating to the activities of companies established in the free zones, whose nature and regulatory environment differ from many disputes arising from the activities of companies registered with the QFC.
He also identified the Court's pioneering adoption of modern electronic systems in judicial work as another important milestone. The Court was among the leading judicial bodies in the country to use an integrated electronic system for filing statements of claim, exchanging submissions and documents between parties, and serving judicial notices and notifications, in addition to using audiovisual communication technologies to conduct hearings and manage cases. He said this represented a qualitative leap in the delivery of judicial services, helping accelerate procedures, facilitate access to justice, and reduce the time and cost associated with litigation.
At the international level, Al Sahouti pointed to the Court’s contribution to establishing the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts (SIFoCC) as another important milestone in its history and an indication of the international standing it has achieved. The forum now brings together more than 50 commercial and international courts from around the world. Qatar, represented by the Qatar International Court, also hosted the fifth meeting of SIFoCC in 2024, the first meeting of the forum to be held in the Middle East, reflecting the Court’s standing within the international network of commercial courts.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Qatar International Court added that the Court’s international character was also reflected in the diversity of its judiciary. Since 2010, its judicial body has included 41 judges from 16 different nationalities, allowing it to benefit from diverse judicial and legal expertise and traditions and helping consolidate its identity as a Qatari court with an international character.
He said that 15 years after its establishment, the Qatar International Court had evolved from a court originally created to serve the QFC's legal environment into a judicial institution with broader jurisdiction and a wider role. In addition to QFC disputes, its remit now encompasses aspects of free-zone disputes and arbitration matters assigned to it by the legislator, as well as a role in developing digital judicial practices and strengthening international judicial cooperation. He added that this evolution reflected the development of the Court’s role alongside Qatar’s growing position as a regional and international hub for business, investment and trade.
Regarding the nature of cases heard by the Court, Al Sahouti said most financial disputes arising between companies and their clients involve a degree of practical complexity because they relate to banking and financial transactions, investment activities, insurance and reinsurance, fund management, credit companies, financial brokerage activities and financial agency services. Such disputes, he explained, require a specialized judicial body capable of dealing with cases of this nature.
He noted that the Qatar International Court gives foreign investors the opportunity to choose a judicial system familiar to them for resolving disputes falling within its jurisdiction, which in itself represents an important element in strengthening confidence in Qatar's investment environment.
He added that this is particularly important for foreign investors, as unfamiliarity with the judicial system and litigation procedures of a country in which they intend to invest can affect investment decisions and make it more difficult to assess the legal risks associated with an investment.
The Qatar International Court therefore helps mitigate such risks by providing clear, familiar and predictable judicial procedures that share many principles and mechanisms with procedures used by common-law courts in several international legal and financial centers, including London and New York. The Court also ensures that its judgments are issued in both Arabic and English with the same level of legal accuracy and quality, enabling foreign investors and their lawyers and legal advisers to review judgments and directly understand their reasoning and rulings without language or differences in judicial drafting becoming an obstacle.
Al Sahouti added that the Court's role was not limited to supporting the traditional investment environment, but also extended to Qatar's transition toward a digital economy through a modern judicial system capable of keeping pace with rapid technological developments in the business sector. He noted that the Court had for years adopted advanced technological solutions for managing cases and judicial proceedings, including its electronic system for filing statements of claim, submissions and documents and tracking proceedings, as well as the ability to conduct hearings remotely and use modern technologies in case management. These measures contribute to greater procedural efficiency, easier access to justice and lower time and costs associated with dispute resolution.
He affirmed that updates introduced by the Court to its rules and procedures had helped enhance the efficiency of litigation procedures and expedite the resolution of disputes through the development of notification mechanisms and electronic procedures and by facilitating parties’ access to judicial services.
The adoption of these rules represents a significant step in the development of judicial work at the Court, reflecting its commitment to providing a judicial experience in accordance with international standards based on transparency, efficiency, accessibility of justice and the rule of law.
Regarding challenges, Al Sahouti said one of the most significant was striking a balance between adopting modern technologies on the one hand and ensuring data security and confidentiality, preserving the integrity of judicial proceedings and safeguarding litigants’ rights on the other. He explained that the Court therefore seeks to employ technology within a legal and institutional framework that ensures transparency, reliability and data protection, thereby strengthening litigants’ confidence in the digital justice system.
He noted that the Court was among the first judicial bodies in the region to adopt an integrated electronic case-management system in 2017 and became the first court in the Middle East and North Africa to use the Courts for Webex platform, enhancing the efficiency of digital judicial services and reinforcing its leadership in judicial innovation.
Regarding the use of modern technologies in litigation, he highlighted the Court's issuance of Practice Direction No. 1 of 2026 concerning the responsible use of artificial intelligence tools. The direction aims to harness the benefits of these technologies to improve efficiency and performance while ensuring adherence to the principles of integrity, transparency and professional responsibility. He explained that the direction places responsibility for verifying the accuracy of information and legal authorities on lawyers and parties, thereby preserving litigants' confidence and the integrity of judicial proceedings.
In this context, he also pointed to a judgment issued by the Court concerning the uncontrolled and improper use of artificial intelligence tools in legal work, which attracted considerable legal and judicial attention as one of the pioneering judgments addressing the legal and professional issues arising from the use of artificial intelligence technologies in judicial and legal work.
Al Sahouti also highlighted several important initiatives launched by the Court, including legal assistance and the legal clinic, as well as mediation services and the publication of a guide to judicial best practices in case management and the conduct of remote hearings. Over the years, the Court has also concluded a number of memoranda of understanding and strategic partnerships with international institutions, courts and legal bodies to strengthen its international presence and support the exchange of expertise and judicial best practices.
He said the Court's vision for the next five years was to continue developing its judicial services and enhancing their efficiency by investing in technological infrastructure, expanding digital transformation and providing innovative judicial services that keep pace with the needs of litigants and the expectations of the business community. The Court also aims to further develop existing initiatives and launch new ones that serve the legal community, enhance legal awareness and facilitate access to justice in line with international judicial best practices.
Concluding his exclusive interview with QNA, Al Sahouti noted that the establishment of the Qatar International Court at an early stage in the development of this judicial model internationally reflected Qatar’s forward-looking vision regarding the importance of a specialized judicial system capable of keeping pace with the opening of the Qatari economy to international investment and trade. Such a system provides local and foreign investors with a modern and effective judicial mechanism for resolving commercial and investment disputes. The Court was established before many commercial courts in the region and even at the regional and international levels.
He said the establishment of the Qatar International Court had been one of the early experiences in the field of international commercial courts, reflecting Qatar's early recognition of the importance of a specialized commercial judiciary as a fundamental component of the legal and institutional infrastructure required to attract investment and strengthen confidence in the business environment. (QNA)