Arbitration Law
Said Ibrahim Ambusaidi Advocates (SIA) in Muscat represents clients in arbitration in Oman under the Law of Arbitration in Civil and Commercial Disputes, Royal Decree 47/97: drafting arbitration agreements and clauses, advocacy in domestic and international arbitral proceedings, and applications to enforce arbitral awards or to set them aside.
What we handle
- Drafting and reviewing arbitration clauses and agreements before signature
- Representing parties from the request for arbitration to the award
- Selection of arbitrators and challenge applications
- Interim and precautionary measures connected to arbitration
- Enforcement of domestic and foreign arbitral awards
- Actions to set aside arbitral awards, and their defense
When is arbitration a better choice than court?
Arbitration is private adjudication the parties choose by agreement, governed in Oman by the Law of Arbitration in Civil and Commercial Disputes, Royal Decree 47/97. Its strengths are confidentiality, the parties' freedom to select arbitrators experienced in the subject of the dispute, and flexibility of procedure and language, which make it the usual choice in construction, project, and foreign-party contracts.
It is not always the right choice: its cost can exceed litigation in smaller disputes, and its award is not open to the ordinary appeals. So we advise you before you contract: we draft the arbitration clause with care, from seat, language, and number of arbitrators to the applicable law, because a vague clause moves the fight from the dispute itself to a battle over the clause.
How do we represent you in arbitral proceedings?
We run the case from the request for arbitration to the award: preparing submissions for claim or defense, taking part in constituting the tribunal and filing challenges where grounds exist, examining witnesses and experts at the hearings, and seeking interim and precautionary measures before the tribunal or the courts as the case requires.
We work in Arabic and English, in ad hoc arbitration and before the arbitral institutions the parties agree on, in Oman and abroad in coordination with local correspondents where needed. At every stage we weigh for you the value of pressing on against the settlement that arbitration itself often opens, because an opponent who sees the seriousness of your file recalculates.
How is an award enforced or set aside?
An arbitral award is not subject to the ordinary appeals available against court judgments. Instead, the Arbitration Law, Royal Decree 47/97, allows an action to set aside on exhaustive grounds it defines, such as invalidity of the arbitration agreement, the tribunal exceeding its scope, or a substantial procedural violation affecting the award, within fixed periods after which the right lapses.
Enforcement runs through an execution order issued by the competent authority after verifying the award meets the conditions, after which it is executed like a judgment under the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law, Royal Decree 29/2002. We handle both sides: seeking enforcement for the winning party and following the attachments to actual collection, and defending the award in annulment proceedings, or bringing them where serious grounds exist.
Frequently asked questions
My contract has an arbitration clause. Can I still go to court?
As a rule, a valid arbitration clause bars the courts from hearing the dispute if the other party invokes it, under the Arbitration Law, Royal Decree 47/97, while the courts retain defined matters such as interim and precautionary measures. Before any step, we review the clause's wording, scope, and validity, since some clauses are drafted in ways that make them void or too narrow for your dispute, and we set you on the right road from the start.
Is an arbitral award binding and final?
Yes. An arbitral award binds the parties and is not open to appeal or the ordinary challenges. An action to set it aside is available only on the exhaustive grounds defined by the Arbitration Law, Royal Decree 47/97, and within a fixed period, and realising the right requires an enforcement order. We assess the real prospects of an annulment action before you commit to it, and we enforce the award for the party who holds it.
My opponent in the arbitration is a foreign company. Do you handle that?
Yes. We represent clients in arbitrations involving foreign parties in Arabic and English, work with contracts, correspondence, and documents drafted in English, and coordinate with correspondent firms abroad when the seat of arbitration or the opponent's domicile is outside Oman, while your file remains managed from our Muscat office and you are kept informed at every step.
What does arbitration cost, and what are the lawyer's fees?
Arbitration costs include the arbitrators' fees and the procedural expenses, which vary with the value of the dispute, the number of arbitrators, and the chosen institution, plus legal fees that depend on the size and stages of the file. We start with a free first consultation by phone or WhatsApp on +968 9706 3030 to assess your dispute and whether arbitration serves it, then give you a clear written fee proposal before work begins.
Your first consultation is free
Describe your matter on WhatsApp or by phone, and we will explain your legal position before any commitment.