Introduction

This Practice Note sets out the legal regime governing enforcement of international arbitral awards in Egypt. This regime is embodied in the Egyptian Arbitration Law (hereinafter ‘the EAL’), which is derived from the UNCITRAL Model Law (hereinafter ‘the Model Law’) and the New York Convention for Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (hereinafter ‘the NY Convention’) to which Egypt is a signatory. Egypt ratified the NY Convention on 9 March 1959 and the convention entered into force by its adoption by the parliament and its publication in the official Gazette on 14 February 1959.

The EAL applies to the enforcement of all international arbitral awards whether rendered inside or outside Egypt so long as they are classified as international awards. Pursuant to EAL Article 3 an international award is one which is rendered in an international arbitration, the latter being defined in reference to more than one test, and, hence, the starting point must be defining what is considered an international arbitration.

Definition of international v domestic awards

The