Georgetown Law

Professor Dr. Mohamed S. Abdel Wahab, C.Arb, FCIArb

Founding Partner & Head of International Arbitration, Construction and Energy, Zulficar & Partners; Professor of International Arbitration, Private International Law and English Contract Law, Cairo University; Member of the Governing Board (ICCA); Vice-Chair of the ICC Governing Body for Dispute Resolution Services; Vice President Global of the CIArb; President Elect of the CIArb (2025); Dean of the Africa Arbitration Academy; Chair of the International Expert Committee of the Permanent Forum for China Construction Law; Member of the International Commercial Expert Committee, China International Commercial Court; Co- Chair, IBA Arab Regional Forum; Vice-Chair of the Advisory Committee of the CRCICA; Member of the Advisory Board of the MIAC; Member of the LACIAC Court of Arbitration; Member of the ITA Academic Council; Member of the Court, PCA (The Hague), and Member of the Board of Trustees of the CIArb. He is a fellow of the National Centre for Technology and Dispute Resolution at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA; and associate fellow of the Centre for Private International Law and Centre for Commercial Law at Aberdeen University (UK).

He served as ‘Arbitrator’, ‘Legal Expert’ and ‘Counsel’ in more than 255 cases, involving parties from the Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and the United States, and is recognized as a world-leading arbitrator and arbitration practitioner in international investment and international commercial arbitration, construction law & practice, Energy law and infrastructure disputes, African and Arab Laws, Islamic Shari’a, private international law and online dispute resolution. He was shortlisted among the top five arbitrators for the GAR award for the best prepared and responsive arbitrator (2021). He received the LAW Magazine 2022 Most Influential Legal Academic Award, the 2021 and 2020 Client Choice International Award, the 2019 AYA Hall-of-Fame African Arbitrator Award, the 2018 ASA International Arbitration Advocacy Prize, and the LAW Magazine 2017 Best Legal Practitioner Award. He is listed in Who’s Who Global Elite Thought Leaders: International Arbitration; selected among the Legal500 Africa Powerlist and the AYA’s Africa’s Top 30 Powerlist. He is the co-editor (with Prof Maxi Scherer and Ms. Niuscha Bassiri) of the first ever book on COVID-19 and international arbitration under the title “International Arbitration and the COVID-19 Revolution” (2020). He is also the co-editor (with Prof Ethan Katsh and Mr. Daniel Rainey) of “Online Dispute Resolution: Theory and Practice” (2011 and 2021). He is the author of the Abdel Wahab Pandemic Pathway to Virtual/Remote Hearings (2020); Co-author (with Dr. Kabir Duggal) of the first book dedicated to comparing the OIC and UAIA Treaties under the title “The Resurgence of the Unified Arab Investment Agreement and the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation Investment Agreement” Brill (2022).

WWL: Arbitration & Global Elite Thought Leaders (2023) says “‘He is an amazing practitioner and one of the hardest working people’ ‘His sharp mind never ceases to amaze’ ‘He is one of a kind!’”. Legal 500 (2023) says ‘Mohamed Abdel Wahab – very prepared arbitrator; deep experience in international arbitration; very thoughtful in his comments; collegial; engaged; insightful and sharp questions’, ‘Highly respected, very experienced arbitrator, exhibiting the highest standard of integrity and ethics’, ‘an outstanding arbitration practitioner’, ‘and ‘He has the quality of being knowledgeable in several systems of law: common law, civil law, and Sharia law.’ Chambers and Partners Global (2023) says: “Mohamed is the crème de la crème in the field and someone who impresses with his unmatched mastery of complex legal issues across various legal systems and sectors”, “He is always well prepared and doesn’t leave any stone unturned”, “He’s outstanding in every way”, and “Mohamed Abdel Wahab is someone who is very brilliant and technically capable”, and “very smart on the law, but also emotionally intelligent as well.” Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration (2022) says: “He is academically brilliant”, “One of the best minds on arbitration issues” and “Extremely impressive”. Chambers & Partners Global (2021) says “Peers regard Mohamed Abdel Wahab as “an absolute star in arbitration”. Legal 500 (2021) says: ‘Mohamed Abdel Wahab is a brilliant practitioner who is at the top of the international arbitration field globally. His understanding of and experience in international arbitration are matched by few’; and ‘Importantly, he is one of the most hardworking individuals in the field. His working ethos and common sense approach to complex legal problems are outstanding’.