Nadine Debbas Achkar

Visiting Professor of Practice of Legal Studies Affiliation: NYU Abu Dhabi
Education: BA Georgetown University; JD Columbia University School of Law

Research Areas: International Arbitration; Gender and Law


Nadine Debbas Achkar is a Chartered Arbitrator specializing in international arbitration. Currently, she serves primarily as arbitrator and has been appointed as Presiding Arbitrator, Sole Arbitrator or Co-Arbitrator in numerous arbitrations arising from a wide range of disputes (both institutional arbitrations as well as ad hoc proceedings under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules).

Nadine is a Member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of Arbitration (2024-2027), a Co-Chair of the ICC Advanced Arbitration Academy – Middle East, and a Member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration & ADR and of the Working Group on Expedited Procedures. She is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).

In addition, in January 2022, Nadine was appointed by Royal Decree as a Judge on the Supreme Court of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

From 2008 until 2011, Nadine served as the General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Corporation PJSC, an industrial investment holding company mandated by the Abu Dhabi Government to be a key contributor to Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030.

Nadine holds a Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Georgetown University. She is a member of the New York Bar and is a native speaker of Arabic, English, and French and is fluent in Spanish.

Courses Taught