The Oman Commercial Arbitration Center held a conference yesterday to discuss the challenges and safeguards of commercial arbitration in the Sultanate of Oman, as well as the impact of the Singapore Mediation Convention. The event, titled “Arbitration and Mediation in the Sultanate of Oman: Challenges and Opportunities,” took place at the Sheraton Hotel in Muscat. The conference aimed to promote a culture of arbitration and mediation in Oman, enhance investor confidence in the business environment, strengthen public trust in the center, enrich local expertise, and position Oman among the leading regional and international arbitration hubs. The event was attended by Dr. Ahmed bin Said Al Jahwari, Chairman of the Center’s Board of Directors, Dr. Musa bin Salem Al-Azri, the Center’s CEO, along with board members, experienced arbitrators, and professionals from Oman and abroad. Dr. Al Jahwari emphasized that such conferences help raise awareness of Oman’s commercial arbitration sector, adding that the Center seeks to attract arbitration parties and position itself as their preferred destination. He highlighted the forum’s focus on modern methods in mediation and arbitration, as well as the Center’s achievements in infrastructure and recruitment of skilled professionals locally and globally, noting that the main challenge remains the limited use of the Center, which calls for collective efforts to enhance its role. Dr. Al-Azri stated that the conference reflects the Center’s ongoing efforts to promote arbitration and mediation as effective means for resolving commercial disputes, while discussing Oman’s arbitration challenges, available guarantees, and the influence of the Singapore Mediation Convention. He explained that the Center operates within an institutional framework that ensures high guarantees by managing arbitration cases from the filing stage to the issuance of the final award, supported by a highly qualified team and a supervisory executive committee. The first panel session focused on arbitration law and practice in Oman, addressing key challenges, state involvement in arbitration, enforcement of arbitral awards, and the rise of virtual hearings. The second session discussed arbitration safeguards, including essential elements of arbitration agreements, arbitrator selection, required competencies, and mechanisms for enforcing arbitral awards. Participants also explored ways to strengthen Oman’s arbitration framework, enhance its appeal as a preferred arbitration venue, and assess the implications of the Singapore Mediation Convention, while exchanging views on the broader landscape of arbitration and mediation practices across Oman and the MENA region.