Doha -

The establishment of a specialized court for investment and trade in the State of Qatar is an important step to keep pace with the rapid growth witnessed by the business sector, create an attractive environment for investors and develop and upgrade the capabilities of national human resources, which reflects Qatar's aspirations and its leadership's keenness to support the judiciary and its independence, leading to raising the country's global classification and controlling

Financial stability and facilitation of international trade.

Six months after the Investment and Trade Court Law issued by the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in October 2021, the law will enter into force so that the establishment of the Investment and Trade Court will be a strong boost to the national economy, and will contribute to attracting major foreign investments and send messages of reassurance For investors abroad and at home.

The head of the Qatari Investment and Trade Court, Judge Khalid bin Ali Al-Obaidli, says that the establishment of the court comes within the framework of creating an environment that attracts investment in the State of Qatar, which has become a focus of interest from many investors, as the establishment of this court keeps pace with the demand for the investment sector in the country, and therefore it is also a message that inspires Reassurance for investors and business owners wishing to invest in the country.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Obaidli explains that the establishment of a specialized court for investment and trade is an important step in the development of the judicial system, in line with the vision of the Qatari leadership in encouraging all creative initiatives that contribute to the advancement of all sectors, including the economic and investment sectors in the country, which witnessed Significant growth in recent years.

Al-Obaidli stresses that the most important characteristic of the law establishing the court is the simplification of the procedures for lawsuits and litigation (Al-Jazeera)

healthy economic environment

Al-Obaidli believes that the issuance of the Investment and Trade Court Law No. 21 of 2021 is an opportunity to create an attractive environment for investment in the State of Qatar, which has become a focus of interest from many investors, as the establishment of this court keeps pace with the demand for the investment sector, and therefore it is also a message of reassurance to investors at home. And abroad and business owners wishing to invest in the country.

Al-Obaidli stresses that the presence of a court specialized in investment and trade issues will have a significant impact on the national economy, as it will contribute to accelerating the pace of commercial dispute resolution and creating a healthy economic environment, in line with Qatar's plans to increase its exports and attract foreign investments.

The President of the Investment and Trade Court in Qatar indicates that the most important characteristic of the law establishing the court is to simplify the procedures for lawsuits and litigation and make them easier and simpler with the least possible time, in order to reach a prompt, quick and fair judiciary at the same time.

The new court is competent to adjudicate disputes related to commercial contracts, cases arising between merchants related to their business, cases related to commercial papers, cases between partners or shareholders in commercial companies, disputes related to commercial assets, disputes related to the investment of non-Qatari capital, banking operations, and marine sales. , bankruptcy and bankruptcy conciliation.

Al-Obaidli sees the issuance of the Investment Court Law as an opportunity to create an attractive environment for investment in Qatar (Al-Jazeera)

Investor confidence

In addition, the court will adjudicate disputes related to patents, trademarks, industrial models, trade secrets, and intellectual property rights, as well as claims related to the invalidity and enforcement of civil and commercial arbitration provisions, and claims and disputes related to the prevention of monopolistic practices, unfair competition, and dumping. and practices harmful to national products.

The President of the Investment and Trade Court affirms that one of the court’s main objectives is to contribute to enhancing investors’ confidence in the judiciary, improving the community’s legal culture and speeding up dispute resolution with quality and efficiency, and implementing flexible dispute settlement procedures that meet all modern international standards, in addition to protecting rights and enhancing transparency and equal opportunities.

Al-Obaidli explains that the work team of establishing the court was keen to review and study all regional and international experiences in the field of courts specialized in investment and trade, in order to benefit from them and benefit from the successful experiences and to avoid the shortcomings and negative aspects of such experiences.

In this regard, he points out that the work team for the establishment of the court visited the London Commercial Court and met with its officials to get acquainted with how it works and the possibility of using its experiences in the specialized judiciary.

The President of the Investment Court points out that the establishment of the court will be supportive in raising the classification of the State of Qatar according to the ease of doing business index of the World Bank, which will contribute to increasing investor confidence and creating an encouraging environment to attract foreign investments, which will send a message of reassurance to Qatari and foreign investors.

Early control of the case

Al-Obaidli points out that many investors around the world are afraid to go to the courts because of the length of the litigation procedures, but the Qatari law on the Investment and Trade Court succeeded in overcoming this problem and the procedures changed for the better, starting from filing the case through advertisements and case management (early control of the case) and the way Electronic entry and exit.

He explains that the court will witness the first application of the case management system in the State of Qatar, and then this will be a model for all courts of different jurisdictions and degrees, adding that this system is entrusted with preparing the case under judicial supervision in a manner that reduces judicial procedures, and prepares it before presentation to the court body in preparation for its adjudication In addition to the possibility of offering conciliation to the litigants during the preparatory stage, which leads to the strengthening of restorative justice and the relief of judges.

The President of the Investment and Trade Court in Qatar expressed his hope to raise people’s awareness of the law in relation to commercial or civil transactions and adhere to the guarantees guaranteed to them by law, and that people would not neglect their rights based on custom instead of the law, and this may not help them when resorting to the judiciary and increase the duration litigation.