Wednesday 04 / November / 2026
Muscat: The proceedings of the fourth Regional Moot Court Competition in International Humanitarian Law commenced in Muscat on Wednesday.
The two-day event is hosted by the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Omani Committee for International Humanitarian Law and Sultan Qaboos University, in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Participating in the competition are law faculty students from the Sultanate of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, and Libya.
The participating teams compete in preparing legal memoranda and presenting oral pleadings in hypothetical cases before specialised arbitration panels comprising experts and judges in the field of international humanitarian law. This contributes to enhancing their legal skills and consolidating humanitarian principles.
Anne Montavon, Head of the Regional Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony in which she expressed her thanks and appreciation to the Sultanate of Oman for hosting this competition for the second time. She praised the existing partnership with the Omani Committee for International Humanitarian Law and Sultan Qaboos University, affirming the importance of respecting the provisions of international humanitarian law in a universal, impartial, and consistent manner. She pointed out that these competitions contribute to preparing a future generation of legal professionals, consultants, and judges capable of applying and developing these international rules.
For his part, Dr. Saleh Hamad Al Barashdi, member of the Omani Committee for International Humanitarian Law and Associate Professor at the College of Law at Sultan Qaboos University, affirmed that the Sultanate of Oman's hosting of the fourth edition of this regional competition follows its hosting of the third edition in 2022. This affirms its keenness and continuous support for regional scientific and legal initiatives, as well as its endeavor to spread the culture of international humanitarian law and enhance respect for its provisions in light of the contemporary humanitarian challenges the world is witnessing.
Al Barashdi clarified that moot court competitions represent an effective educational tool to bridge theoretical aspects with practical application. They also contribute to developing students' skills in research, analysis, and legal pleading. Furthermore, he called on Arab universities to enhance the presence of international humanitarian law in their academic curricula to exchange expertise and build scientific partnerships.
