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Under the patronage of Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University, Prof. Amani Osama Kamel, Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research, and Prof. Ghada Farouk, Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development.

Prof. Ghada Farouk, Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development, Prof. Ahmed Zaki Badr, former Minister of Education and Minister of Local Development, and Prof. Ahmed Gamal El-Din Moussa, Chairman of the Legal Studies Sector Committee at the Supreme Council of Universities and former Minister of Education, inaugurated the activities of the international conference "Drafting Contracts and Agreements and Their Effects on Arbitration", which is sponsored and supervised by Prof. Mohamed Safi, Dean of the Faculty of Law, and Prof. Yassin El-Shazly, Vice Dean of the Faculty for Graduate Studies and Research, and will be held from May 3-4, 2025.

In her speech, delivered on behalf of Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University, Prof. Ghada Farouk, Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development, expressed her deep appreciation for this distinguished attendance, which underscores the importance of the topic addressed by this year's Faculty of Law conference.

She also affirmed the university leadership's deep appreciation for the Faculty of Law, represented by the Dean of the Faculty, the distinguished faculty staff, and the students, on whom we count greatly for the future of the nation. She emphasized that this academic institution has always been a beacon of knowledge and law, producing talented individuals who have contributed and continue to contribute to Egypt's advancement and progress.

All of us at Ain Shams University are rightly proud of the stature of our faculty staff who have attained the highest positions in the country. This is conclusive evidence of the quality of education and training our students receive at this prestigious university, and of the valuable contributions its graduates make in various fields.

Her Excellency added that the Egyptian state attaches great importance to enhancing the investment climate and attracting local and foreign capital, based on its belief that investment is one of the main drivers of achieving sustainable economic growth and creating job opportunities. This gives the conference great significance, as it focuses on drafting contracts and agreements and their impact on arbitration. The drafting process is a necessary stage for translating the essence of a legal obligation or agreement into a practical basis applicable to the contracting parties.

At the end of her speech, the Vice President of Ain Shams University extended her sincere thanks and appreciation to everyone who contributed to the organization of this distinguished conference, appreciating the international participation in the conference, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, the University of Essex, and the Egyptian Center for Voluntary Arbitration, affiliated with the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority.

In his speech, Prof. Ahmed Gamal El-Din Moussa, Chairman of the Legal Studies Sector Committee of the Supreme Council of Universities and former Minister of Education, expressed his deep appreciation and pride in the Faculty of Law, this distinguished academic institution that has consistently provided the nation with a constellation of legal professionals and leaders. His Excellency praised the faculty's choice of the topic of this year's conference, which he sees as at the heart of the current challenges facing our societies and laws.

He pointed out that precise and clear legal drafting is not merely a formal tool, but rather the cornerstone of achieving justice and the rule of law. The legal text is the vessel that conveys rights and duties, and if it is vague or confusing, this may lead to misinterpretations and unfair applications. Therefore, the focus on this year's conference theme reflects a deep awareness of the importance of quality legislation and the need to improve legal texts to ensure they are concise, easy to understand, and easy to apply.

His Excellency added that the Legal Studies Sector Committee of the Supreme Council of Universities is closely monitoring this conference and its valuable results and recommendations. They will provide enlightened insights and practical solutions that can contribute to the development of our legal system.

In his speech, Prof. Mohamed Safi, Dean of the Faculty of Law, welcomed the distinguished figures who influenced the conference. He emphasized that the conference topic, “Drafting Contracts and Agreements and Their Effects on Arbitration,” is organized by the Faculty in fulfillment of its role in the field of applied scientific research aimed at proposing realistic solutions to practical societal issues. This is especially true since reality has revealed in recent years multiple problems related to drafting contracts and agreements, especially in the field of foreign direct investments, and the resulting legal effects on the arbitration process related to them. This requires us to pause, reconsider, and conduct further research, study, and evaluation.

His Excellency added that the conference will discuss, over the course of two days, a selected group of studies, research papers, and working papers distributed over four sessions, in addition to the opening session. These sessions will address issues related to the principles and rules of drafting contracts and agreements, the specificity of contracting and its impact on contract drafting and arbitration, the role of peaceful means in settling disputes, and the legal dimensions of drafting international agreements and their impact on arbitration.

In his speech, Prof. Yassin El-Shazly, Vice Dean for Graduate Studies and Research at the Faculty of Law, emphasized that the choice of the theme "Drafting Contracts and Agreements and Their Impact on Arbitration" for our conference this year did not come out of nowhere, but rather stems from our deep awareness of the importance of this topic in our contemporary world, especially in light of the growing trend toward investment and trade exchange at both the local and international levels. The precise and clear drafting of contracts and agreements is not merely a formality; rather, it represents the solid foundation upon which rights and obligations are built, and it is the true guarantee for avoiding disputes and disagreements that could hinder the path to development and prosperity.

The first day's activities included an opening session and a first session titled "Principles and Rules of Contract Drafting," moderated by Prof. Mohamed El Shafei, Professor of Economics and Public Finance and Vice Dean of the Faculty for Education and Student Affairs. Prof. Mohamed Rabie Anwar Fath El Bab, Professor of Civil Law at the Faculty of Law, Ain Shams University, spoke about the principles of legal drafting of penal contractual clauses. Dr. Nevin Mohi El Din, PhD in Civil Law, discussed the types of legal drafting of contracts and their impact on arbitration. Dr. Ahmed Gamal Kalhi, PhD in Law, Tanta University, spoke about the role of the legal advisor in drafting the governing clauses of an investment contract - an analytical legal study. Researcher Nesma Bayoumi Mohamed Abdo provided information on drafting and its effects on pre-contractual documents (the pre-contractual stage) - an analytical study compared to French contract law according to the amendments of Decree No. 131-2016. Dr. Mohamed Sohail El Faqi, PhD in Private International Law, at the Faculty of Law, at Ain Shams University, spoke about the legal concept of the provisions of forming and drafting electronic contracts.

This conference is held as part of the faculty's role as a house of expertise serving the nation. It seeks to shed light on this important scientific matter, which is at the heart of the national economy, and to provide a comprehensive legal vision for the benefit of various stakeholders when making relevant decisions.

The conference was attended by Prof. Khaled Hamdy Abdel Rahman, former Dean of the Faculty of Law and President of the Canadian University of Egypt; Prof. Hanan Kamel, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, at Ain Shams University; Dr. Khaled Serry Siam, former Chairman of the Egyptian Stock Exchange; and a host of former deans and faculty staff.