Annulment of Arbitral Awards in Egypt Under Law No. 27 of 1994

Egypt's arbitration law gives 90 days to bring an annulment action and limits the grounds strictly.

The law

Law No. 27 of 1994 on Arbitration in Civil and Commercial Matters, inspired by the UNCITRAL Model Law, governs arbitration in Egypt.

No appeal

Awards may not be appealed. The only route of challenge is an annulment action (Article 52).

Deadline

The action must be filed within 90 days from the date the award is notified to the losing party (Article 54).

Grounds (Article 53)

1. no arbitration agreement, or it is void, voidable or expired;
2. a party lacked capacity;
3. a party could not present its defence due to lack of proper notice;
4. the award excluded the law chosen by the parties;
5. irregular composition of the tribunal or appointment of arbitrators;
6. the award decided matters outside the agreement;
7. nullity in the award or procedure affecting it.

The court annuls on its own motion an award contrary to Egyptian public order.

Competent court

For international commercial arbitration, the Cairo Court of Appeal unless the parties agree on another Egyptian court of appeal.

Enforcement

An enforcement order is not granted until the 90-day annulment period has expired (Article 58). CRCICA in Cairo is the leading regional institution.

Ask LexArab

LexArab can review an award and outline an annulment claim. General information only.