In 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the international arbitration community, including practitioners of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region, had to face many challenges. Rapid border closures, institutional shutdowns, and the imposition of lockdowns and restrictions on the physical movement of individuals in Spring 2020, meant that this challenging situation required an adequate response. However, a year later, it seems safe to suggest that international and regional arbitration institutions and practitioners have risen to the occasion and have shown the required flexibility to administer and resolve pending and new disputes.

The main challenge has been the need for social distancing either as a result of guidelines and/or law. In addition with the general impossibility or significant hurdles in travelling between countries and even cities, it became impractical and extremely difficult to hold physical meetings even for the all important oral hearing which is typically, the only time all participating parties in arbitral proceedings come together in person.