Salah Malas

He represents sovereign States, State entities and corporations in investment treaty and commercial arbitrations, with a particular focus on disputes involving the Middle East. Mr. Malas also sits as arbitrator in select commercial arbitrations. 

His recent work includes being part of the team that represented the State of Kuwait in successfully defending a US$300 million ICSID claim and defeating subsequent annulment proceedings. He is also part of the team representing Burkina Faso in a US$240 million ICSID arbitration concerning a gold mining project. 

Mr. Malas has substantial experience as counsel and advocate in complex commercial arbitrations. He was one of the lead counsel and advocates who helped an Indian Ocean sovereign State defeat a US$300 million claim in an LCIA arbitration. He was also part of the team that helped a joint venture involving an Italian aerospace and defence company win a US$160 million award in an ICC arbitration concerning the construction of a 2022 FIFA World Cup stadium.  

Mr. Malas is a Solicitor Advocate with Higher Rights of Audience (Civil) in England and Wales. He has acted in proceedings at all levels of the courts of England and Wales, as well as before the UK Supreme Court, where he acted in Halliburton v Chubb on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators as intervener. He has also assisted clients in litigation before the courts of the United Arab Emirates. 

His public international law practice includes representing a sovereign State in two advisory proceedings before the International Court of Justice and advising States and State entities on their rights and obligations under international law.

Natively bilingual in English and Arabic, Mr. Malas conducts written and oral advocacy in both languages, and his work regularly engages the civil law systems of the Arab world.

Mr. Malas has been recognised by Lexology Index as an Arbitration Future Leader, a distinction for leading practitioners aged 45 and under identified through independent research drawing on recommendations and feedback from peers and clients. He is an ICC YAAF Regional Representative for the Middle East for the 2026–2028 mandate and a Group Advisor in the Young ICCA Mentoring Programme for the 2025–2027 cycle.

Before entering private practice, Mr. Malas advised a former Prime Minister of Jordan on public-private partnerships and policy development. He holds an LLM with Distinction from King’s College London.