The World Trade Organization’s General Council has unanimously selected Saqer bin Abdullah Al-Moqbel, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the WTO, to chair its Dispute Settlement Body for the 2024-2025 term. This decision was reached during the council meeting on March 22, 2024.
Al-Moqbel’s appointment is a historic first, as he becomes the inaugural Arab permanent representative to the WTO to assume this significant role. Furthermore, he is slated to preside over the WTO’s General Council for the 2025-2026 period, representing the apex of authority within the organization.
The mandate of the Dispute Settlement Body includes handling concerns raised by member nations pertaining to their obligations under the WTO’s accords. It is empowered to institute dispute resolution panels, endorse panel and appellate body rulings, oversee the execution of decisions and recommendations, and sanction remedial measures in instances of non-compliance.
With Al-Moqbel at its helm, Saudi Arabia continues to fortify its influential status within the WTO, having previously occupied prominent roles such as the coordinator of the Arab Group and head of various committees, including the Trade Policy Review Body and the Working Group facilitating Iraq’s accession. Al-Moqbel brings to the table over two decades of expertise in diplomatic and legal affairs, holding leadership positions in the Trade Policy Review Body and coordinating the Arab group, among other duties.