Article 3 of the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration Statute

This article specifies the Center's competence. The rule is that it undertakes supervision of arbitration proceedings that the parties agree to settle within the framework of the Center and under its rules. The Center's competence over a particular dispute is thus based on the parties' agreement, not on any compulsion under the Statute.

The Center has in particular:

1. Administering the arbitration proceedings.
2. Preparing a list of the names of arbitrators in its field of competence, which the parties may consult and choose from it or from others; the list is not binding.
3. Setting guiding criteria for determining the fees and expenses of the arbitrators registered with the Center; these are guiding criteria, not fixed prices.
4. Training and qualification in the field of arbitration.
5. Spreading a culture of arbitration and supporting research activities in it.
6. Taking part in representing the Kingdom in commercial arbitration locally and internationally.

Note that the Center supervises and administers, while the dispute is decided by the arbitral tribunal, which Article 1 defines as the sole arbitrator or the panel of arbitrators that decides the dispute referred to arbitration. Article 4 adds that the Council of Chambers contributes to supporting and marketing the Center's services. A person drafting an arbitration clause in a commercial contract is advised to consult a lawyer specialized in commercial cases.