The Qatar International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration replaced a rule set that had stood since 2012. The 2024 Rules, issued on 15 September 2024 and in force from 1 January 2025, are a genuine overhaul rather than a refresh — most importantly they add emergency arbitration, which the 2012 Rules did not have at all.
What QICCA is
QICCA sits under the Qatar Chamber and administers both arbitration and conciliation. It should not be confused with the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre, the separate common-law court attached to the Qatar Financial Centre — different institution, different jurisdiction, different rules.
What changed in the 2024 Rules
The 2024 Rules were issued on 15 September 2024 and apply from 1 January 2025, replacing the 2012 Rules. The changes that affect how a case is actually run:
- Emergency arbitration. There was no emergency arbitrator procedure under the 2012 Rules. Urgent relief before the tribunal was constituted meant going to court. That is now available within the institution.
- Electronic filing, including the notice of arbitration itself.
- Joinder and consolidation provisions closer to the ICC, SIAC and HKIAC models. Practitioner commentary notes that the conditions for consolidation after the tribunal is constituted are not fully spelt out, so do not assume a late consolidation will be straightforward.
- An expedited track for lower-value disputes. Commentary puts the threshold at around US$264,000; confirm the figure against the current Rules text before relying on it in advice.
QICCA as appointing authority in ad hoc cases
A useful and under-used feature: under Article 3, parties may agree to depart from the 2024 Rules while still designating QICCA as the appointing authority. QICCA has reaffirmed that it supports ad hoc as well as institutional cases.
That matters for the common Gulf situation where a counterparty will accept a neutral appointing body but not full institutional administration and its fee schedule. It gives you a constituted tribunal without the administration.
When QICCA is the right forum
Choose it where the counterparty, the project or the assets are Qatari and you want an award a Qatari court will treat as domestic. Construction and infrastructure contracts on Qatari projects are the common case.
If your clause still names the 2012 Rules or was drafted before 2025, revisit it: the absence of an emergency arbitrator was a real gap, and a clause written around that gap — for example carving out interim relief to the courts — may now be doing something you no longer want.
Frequently asked questions
Which QICCA rules apply to my arbitration?
The 2024 Arbitration Rules, issued on 15 September 2024 and in force from 1 January 2025, replacing the 2012 Rules. They are a substantial overhaul rather than an amendment, so a clause drafted against the 2012 Rules should be reviewed.
Does QICCA have an emergency arbitrator?
Yes, under the 2024 Rules. The 2012 Rules had no emergency arbitration procedure at all, so urgent pre-constitution relief previously meant applying to a court. This is one of the most practically significant changes in the new rules.
Is QICCA the same as the Qatar International Court?
No. QICCA is the Qatar International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration and sits under the Qatar Chamber. The Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre is a separate common-law court attached to the Qatar Financial Centre, with its own jurisdiction and rules.
Can QICCA administer an ad hoc arbitration?
It can act as appointing authority without administering the case. Article 3 of the 2024 Rules allows parties to agree to deviate from the Rules while designating QICCA as appointing authority, and QICCA has confirmed it supports both ad hoc and institutional cases — useful where a counterparty will accept a neutral appointing body but not full institutional administration.
Matter on your desk?
We act for claimants and respondents in GCC-seated arbitration, and as co-counsel with local firms where the seat requires it. If a contract on your desk names one of these institutions — or you are deciding which to name — send us the clause and a partner will come back on forum, enforceability and the realistic cost.
Last updated: 3 November 2026. Contact us for matter-specific advice.