Gary Born, chair of the international arbitration practice group at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, says that a flight to quality is underway in the choice of arbitral institutions around the world—and that the Middle East stands to be a prime beneficiary. 

Widely regarded as one of the preeminent arbitrators of his generation, Born has thrown his weight behind the new Abu Dhabi International Arbitration Centre, of which he was recently appointed vice chair of the board. The centre published its rules on Feb. 1 and will now become the UAE’s main seat of arbitration, alongside the Dubai International Arbitration Centre.