Dr. Hedar wrote his PhD on the ICSID convention and he has worked with UNCTAD on mapping the Arab and African IIAs. He also drafted the new Arab Investment Agreementin the League of Arab States (LAS) and Prepared the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s initiative on the modern investment agreement in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). He participated in UNCITRAL WGIII on ISDS reform negotiations and WTO negotiation on Investment Facilitation. He was also involved in the AFCFTA investment protocol negotiations and the Pan African Investment Code PAIC. Dr. Hedar has over 20 years of professional experience in the field of investment law and policy. He represented Egypt at many international conferences, events and forums as participant, speaker and negotiator with different prestigious international organizations and universities such as (UNCTAD, WTO, UNCITRAL, AU, LAS, IISD, World Trade Institute at the University of Bern, Columbia University USA).
• PhD in International Law, Faculty of Law, Cairo University, grade “Excellent”, May – 2012.
• M.A. master’s degree in law, Faculty of Law, Cairo University, 2000.
• B.A. Bachelor of Law, Faculty of Law, Cairo University, May 1998.
UNCTAD (2016)
• Contributing in UNCTAD’s project on analyzing key provisions in International Investment Agreements (IIAs) and their economic implications on host States.
• Contributing in analysis of Bilateral Investment Treaties in the Arab, African countries.
• Preparing comprehensive legal and economic study on IIAs with a view to identifying best practices in international investment policymaking the report provided policy options for countries to enhance their right to regulate investment for the public interest.
Columbia University, Columbia Law School, New York, USA.
• Visiting Scholars Program to drafting a model on Regional International Investment Agreements. 2018-2019.
Over 20 years of professional experience in investment law and policy. professional experience in drafting international agreements, protocols and conducting analyses on International Investment Agreements IIAs, ISDS.
4 December 2022
– present – Legal advisor, Ministry of Investment, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (MISA)
• Preparing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s initiative on the modern investment agreement in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
• Preparing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s initiative on the new Arab investment agreement in the League of Arab States (LAS).
• Providing consulting services in drafting and review International Investment Agreements (IIAs), protocols and Investment chapter in Free Trade Agreement (FTA) -conducting analyses on international investment agreements.
• Providing technical notes in international arbitration cases based on Investor-State Disputes Settlement ISDS provisions included in International Investment Agreements (IIAs).
February 2003 – December 2022
– Director of International Investment Agreements, Ministry of Investment, General Authority for Investment and Free Zones GAFI, Egypt
• Representing Egypt in the negotiations on International Investment Agreements, drafting and revision of international investment agreements.
• Providing technical notes in international arbitration cases based on Investor-State Disputes Settlement ISDS provisions included in International Investment Agreements (IIAs).
July 2018 – July 2020
-Chief of the Committee of Investment Experts for League of Arab States (LAS)
• Lead discussions and managing the process for the draft New Investment Arab Agreement.
February 2016 – November 2016,
Legal advisor, Bedaya Center for Entrepreneurship and SMES 2015.
Drafting contracts and Providing consulting services for the Bedaya Center
December 2014– November 2015
– Legal advisor, LACTIMED
• Drafting contracts and Providing consulting services for the LACTIMED project funded by the European Union.
UNCTAD – Providing consulting services in drafting and review International Investment Agreements (IIAs). Revising and analysis Bilateral Investment Treaties BITs in Arab and African countries.
WTO – Representing Egypt in the WTO discussions on Investment Facilitation Initiative. 2020.
UNCITRAL – Representing Egypt at the UNICITRAL, New York, Group III meetings on Investor-State Disputes Settlement ISDS Reform. 2018.
African Union AU- Representing Egypt in the negotiations on the Pan African Investment Code PAIC between the African Countries. held on (Tunisia, Uganda and Kenya), 2015 – 2017. Representing Egypt in the negotiations on Investment Protocol to the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area AFCFTA, 2022 – 2023.
COMESA – Representing GAFI in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
League of Arab States LAS – drafting the new Arab Investment Agreement in the League of Arab States (LAS), Representing Egypt in the negotiations and expert meeting in the League of Arab States LAS on the new Arab Investment Agreement. 2017 – 2022.
(A)Drafting and revising of International Agreements, protocols and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) • Drafting the new Arab investment agreement at the League of Arab States LAS, 2021- 2024. • Drafting Protocol on agreement between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the (Swiss – Japan- Jordan) for the reciprocal promotion and protection of investment, 2023 -2024. • Revising and analysis Bilateral Investment Treaties BITs for the COMESA countries, in cooperation with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD, 2021. • Drafting the Egyptian model for “international investment agreements promotion and protection” In conjunction with the team of international conventions at GAFI. • Drafting the multilateral agreement to establish a development fund between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia from March to June 2016. • Formulating of the Cooperation Protocol between the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology and Bedaya Center for entrepreneurship and SMES Development (GAFI), 2016. • Revising and analysis 74 Bilateral Investment Treaties BITs that concluded between Egypt and other countries, in cooperation with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD, October 2014 – 30 September 2015. • Drafting the Statute of the Union of Arab Investment Promotion Agencies IPAs among Arab countries, 2015. (B) National investment laws • Drafting and revising the Pan-African Investment Code, African Union, 2016. • Revising and Drafting the Egyptian Investment Law No 72, 2017
(C) Negotiations of International Agreements • Participation in the negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Switzerland on International Investment Agreement IIA.2023-2024. • Participation in the negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Morocco on International Investment Agreement IIA.2023-2024. • Representing Egypt in the negotiations on investment agreement, AFCEFTA in the African Union AU.2021. • Representing GAFI in the negotiations on Egyptian-British Association Agreement, 2020. • Representing Egypt in the negotiations and expert meetings in the League of Arab States LAS, on the amendments of the old version of Inter-Arab investment agreement signed in 1981. (2017-2018). • Representing Egypt at the UNICITRAL, Group III meetings on Investor-State Disputes Settlement ISDS reform, 2018. • Representing GAFI in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Thirty-Seventh Meeting of the InterGovernmental Committee, Lusaka, Zambia, (30 October – 1 November), 2017. • Representing Egypt in the negotiations on the draft agreement of the Pan African Investment Code PAIC between the African States, organized by The African Union AU (2015-2017). • Representing GAFI in the negotiations on the draft Agreement between the government of the Russian Federation and the government of the Arab Republic of Egypt on establishing and maintaining conditions for the operation of the Russian Industrial Zone in the Arab Republic of Egypt.26-29 September 2016. • Representing Egypt in the negotiations on agreement between The Ministry of Investment, Arab Republic of Egypt and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. Which was signed in 6/2/2016.
(A) Conduct studies on International Investment Agreements (IIAs) • Study on the legal nature of the draft Pan- African investment code and its relationship with international investment agreements .This study was published by South Center in Geneva, https://www.southcentre.int/investment-policy-brief-9-july-2017/ • Study on “the most important amendments of the Unified Agreement for Investment of Arab Capital in the Arab states (1981)”, August 2016. • Preparing a study on “the new draft of the Egyptian Investment Law”, September 2016. • Study on the “Draft Framework Convention on economic, trade, investment and technical cooperation between the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Cooperation (COMESA) and the Government of the People’s Republic of China”, March 2016. • Study on the protocol of “The African Union of Free Zones” between the free zones in African countries, January 2016.
study on the “Statement of principles for international investment” which the United States announced in conjunction with the EU in April 2012. (B) Conduct studies on international investment disputes as well as international arbitration cases • Study on “modern international trends and mechanisms for Settlement of Investment Disputes”, during July 2016. • Study on the United Nations Convention on Transparency in Treaty-based Investor-State Arbitration, that was signed on March 17, 2015 in Port Louis, Mauritius, May 2015. • Study on the light of international investment agreements to the issue of International Arbitration filed by the Qatari Al-Jazeera network against the Egyptian government before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), August 2014. • Study on revising the convention of the settlement of investment disputes in the Arab countries approved of the Arab Economic Unity Council, April 2012.
Fellowship certificate from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which took place from the 2nd to 31st of August 2016. • Certificate of Recognition to actively participated as legal advisor for LACTIMED project funded by the European Union and ANIMA Investment Network, December 2014– November 2015. • Certificate of participation in International Investment Agreements: Negotiating for Sustainable Development Organized by the Secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Islamic Development Bank Group (IDB) Investment Promotion Technical Assistance Program (ITAP) in cooperation with the Energy Charter Secretariat (ECS) Casablanca, Morocco, 12-15 January 2015. • Certificate from the United Nations – Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the Korean Agency for Trade and Investment Promotion (KOTRA), Concerning participation in the workshop on Avoiding Investors-State Dispute, the Ombudsman, 2013.
Member of the Egyptian Society of International Law. • Member of Committee on Investment, AFCFTA. • Member of Committee on Investment Experts, League of Arab States LAS. • Member of Bar Association Egypt.
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