Background and overview
The ICC has published its 2024 Dispute Resolution Statistics Report, offering a comprehensive overview of the institution's caseload and procedural trends. The data continues to reflect year-on-year growth, increased global participation, and a continued commitment to procedural efficiency and inclusivity. The Report highlights key trends that are relevant for businesses engaged in cross-border transactions and international commercial disputes.
Record caseload value
In 2024, the ICC Court registered 831 new arbitration cases, bringing the total number of pending cases to 1,789 by year-end, with the vast majority (69%) of ICC arbitrations involving cross-border disputes.
The average amount in dispute was USD 130 million in new cases and USD 211 million in cases pending at year-end. The aggregate value of disputes reached a historic high of USD 354 billion, underscoring the ICC's role as a forum of choice for high-value, complex international disputes.
The wide spectrum of dispute values, ranging from USD 10,000 to USD 53 billion, emphasises the ICC's relevance in both large-scale as well as smaller disputes.
Sectoral diversity
Cases filed in 2024 spanned a wide array of industries, with the most prominent sectors including Construction/Engineering and Energy (44%); Transportation (6.3%); Finance and Insurance (5.8%); Telecommunications and Specialised Technology (5.8%) and Health, Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics (4.8%).
The most frequent types of contracts from which arbitration filings arose during 2024 were construction/engineering, share purchase and shareholder agreements, distribution/franchising and joint venture, consortium and partnership contracts.
This sectoral diversity highlights the ICC's capacity to administer disputes across both established and emerging industries in arbitration. The ICC's global and multilingual capacity also ensures that ICC arbitration remains accessible and relevant to a wide range of industries and legal systems.
Procedural considerations
In 2024, the ICC also reinforced its commitment to procedural efficiency and arbitration accountability. The average duration of proceedings that concluded by way of final award in 2024 (including where proceedings were suspended by party agreement) was 26 months, compared to 27 months in 2023. The ICC continued to monitor delays in the issuance of awards, applying fee reduction in 40% of cases where draft awards were submitted late.
Under the Expedited Procedure Provisions (EPP), of the total 120 final awards rendered in 2024, 56% were delivered on or around the six-month time limit. Where delays occurred, such delays were found to be justified or by party agreement in most cases, with a fee reduction applied in only 13 cases.
Spotlight on the Middle East
The Middle East continues to play an important role in the ICC's global arbitration landscape, reflecting both the region's dynamic economic landscape and its growing reliance on arbitration and ADR mechanisms for dispute resolution.
The Middle East represented 9% of the overall party population recorded by the ICC in 2024 – the top three nationalities in the region being the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Compared with the LCIA's 2024 statistics (from its 2024 Annual Casework Report), the UAE also ranked among the LCIA's top five international users (following the United Kingdom), representing 4.2% of the LCIA's party population.
The UAE entered the top five seats of arbitration for the first time in ICC arbitrations, being surpassed only by the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland and the United States, and with Dubai coming in at 9th place on the list of most frequently selected cities. These statistics are no surprise when considering:
- Established legal frameworks supportive of arbitration in region
- Availability of experienced arbitrators and institutions
- The UAE's geographic positioning for cross-border disputes.
The continued growth aligns with the region's expanding infrastructure, energy, and technology sectors – industries that are traditionally arbitration-intensive. The ICC's multilingual capabilities, including proceedings in Arabic and bilingual awards, further enhance accessibility for MENA-based parties. This is particularly valuable for regional clients seeking culturally attuned and linguistically inclusive dispute resolution.
Final thoughts
The 2024 ICC Dispute Resolution Statistics reaffirm the ICC's pivotal role in managing complex, high-value, cross-border disputes across diverse sectors and jurisdictions. The report also underscores the ICC's commitment to efficiency, accountability, and inclusivity, with mechanisms in place to ensure timely proceedings and arbitrator performance. These findings reinforce the ICC's standing as a neutral, globally respected forum for international dispute resolution.
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To speak to us in relation to dispute resolution, international arbitration or ADR matters, or issues more generally, please reach out to the Baker McKenzie contacts above.
*This article was authored by Luka Kristovic-Blazevic (Partner and Head of International Arbitration, Middle East), Marlize Dumas (Associate, Dubai) and Malik Mikel (Trainee Solicitor, Dubai).
