Singapore Institute of Arbitrators

What Singapore Institute of Arbitrators does

The Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (SIArb) is an independent, nonprofit professional body established in 1981 and headquartered at Maxwell Chambers Suites in Singapore. It serves legal practitioners, commercial litigators, maritime lawyers, and corporate counsel who seek structured training, accreditation, and a professional community for arbitration practice. SIArb operates a three-tier membership structure — Associate, Member, and Fellow — with approximately 1,000 members, and awards Fellowship designation upon completion of its advanced training programmes.

SIArb's core product is the SIArb Fellowship Assessment Course (FAC), a six-module programme with practical workshops and written assessments that qualifies candidates for admission as Fellows. It also jointly delivers the Maritime Arbitrator Accreditation Programme (MAAP) with the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA), runs an annual Commercial Arbitration Symposium (15th edition in 2026), and offers the SIArb Arbitration Rules, SIArb Scheme Arbitration framework, Model Clauses, and the SIArb Arbitration Journal as institutional and reference assets. There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is education, credentialing, and institutional frameworks rather than software.

The revenue model combines recurring annual membership fees across the three tiers with one-time course fees (e.g., FAC at S$3,300 for members) and per-delegate event pricing (e.g., S$195-395 for the symposium). Members receive preferential pricing across programmes, anchoring a tiered go-to-market. In April 2026, SIArb transitioned its Secretariat from CMA to Maxwell Chambers, with Karen Tan as Strategic Advisor and Isabel Ho as Deputy Head of Business Development and Marketing, indicating an organizational refresh focused on member engagement and commercial reach.

Name

Singapore Institute of Arbitrators

Legal name

Singapore Institute of Arbitrators

Website

https://siarb.org.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (SIArb) is a nonprofit professional body founded in 1981 that trains and accreditors arbitrators through courses, events, and membership tiers, serving ~1,000 legal practitioners in Singapore and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arbitration Training and Accreditation Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Institutional Accreditors (Career, Faith-Based, Distance, etc.) (EDADACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)

Keywords

• Arbitration training
• Dispute resolution accreditation
• Professional membership association
• Arbitrator certification
• Maritime arbitration

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from Associate, Member, and Fellow categories
2. Course and Event Fees: Revenue from training courses (FAC, MAAP), symposiums, and professional events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SIArb is an independent professional membership body that trains arbitrators and promotes the use of arbitration for dispute resolution. It sells structured accreditation courses (Fellowship Assessment Course and the joint Maritime Arbitrator Accreditation Programme), hosts an annual Commercial Arbitration Symposium and other professional events, and maintains SIArb Arbitration Rules and a Scheme Arbitration framework alongside a Panel of accredited Arbitrators. Revenue is generated through annual membership fees (Associate, Member, Fellow tiers) and course/event fees.

Product overview

SIArb offers a platform of professional development and accreditation services for dispute resolution professionals, centered around its training courses (Fellowship Assessment Course and Maritime Arbitrator Accreditation Programme), annual symposiums and events, and institutional arbitration rules. The portfolio includes educational courses for arbitrator certification, professional events for knowledge sharing, and institutional frameworks for conducting arbitration proceedings. Members receive access to training, networking, and professional recognition through various membership tiers (Associate, Member, Fellow).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SIArb Fellowship Assessment Course (FAC) An advanced training course focusing on the practical aspects of acting as an arbitrator, consisting of 6 modules, 9 self-study lectures, 6 live practical workshops, and two written assessments. Completion qualifies candidates to apply for admission as a Fellow of SIArb. Targeted at lawyers and legal professionals seeking arbitrator accreditation.
• Maritime Arbitrator Accreditation Programme (MAAP) A joint programme with SCMA (Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration) for current and aspiring maritime arbitrators, comprising an in-person workshop and online written assessment. Successful completion awards the Certificate of Fellowship in Maritime Arbitration, jointly issued by SIArb and SCMA.
• 15th Annual Commercial Arbitration Symposium 2026 An annual symposium featuring delegate-driven discussions on current issues affecting commercial arbitration practice, with networking reception and optional Annual Dinner attendance. Targeted at arbitration practitioners, in-house counsel, and dispute resolution professionals.
• The Judge and the Arbitrator: Same but Different? A Singapore Convention Week event organized by SIArb and SICC, exploring differences between case management and decision-making in court versus arbitration, featuring a Singapore High Court Judge and a practising arbitrator.
• SIArb Arbitration Rules Institutional arbitration rules governing dispute resolution proceedings under SIArb's framework, available for parties to adopt in their commercial contracts.
• SIArb Scheme Arbitration Arbitration scheme administered by SIArb for the conduct of dispute resolution proceedings under the SIArb framework.
• SIArb Membership (Associate, Member, Fellow) Three tiers of professional membership (Associate, Member, Fellow) with annual fees, providing access to training discounts, networking events, publications, and (for Fellows) eligibility for the Panel of Arbitrators listing.
• Panel of Arbitrators Listing A directory of SIArb-accredited arbitrators (Fellows) available for appointment in arbitration proceedings, governed by admission criteria and a Code of Conduct.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Maxwell ChamberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2026Maxwell Chambers acts as SIArb's Secretariat, providing administrative and operational support. Maxwell Chambers is Singapore's principal venue for arbitration hearings. The new Secretariat team is led by Karen Tan (Strategic Advisor) and Isabel Ho (Deputy Head of Business Development and Marketing).
• SCMA (Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIArb and SCMA jointly present the Maritime Arbitrator Accreditation Programme (MAAP). Candidates completing both MAAP and FAC receive the Certificate of Fellowship in Maritime Arbitration, jointly issued by both organizations.
• SICC (Singapore International Commercial Court)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of The Judge and the Arbitrator: Same but Different? event during Singapore Convention Week.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Arbitration Association (AAA) / ICDR: Major US-based arbitration and mediation institution with global reach through ICDR. Comparable as a comprehensive dispute resolution professional body offering training, accreditation, and case administration.
• London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA): Long-established London-based international arbitration institution. Comparable as a provider of arbitration rules, panels, and training, with a much broader international footprint.
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC): Global incumbent running the International Court of Arbitration and ICC Arbitration Rules. Operates a much larger international scope but overlaps with SIArb on arbitrator credentialing and training in the international arbitration market.

Regional players

• Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (KLRCA / AIAC): Malaysia-based regional arbitration centre comparable to SIArb in offering arbitration services and arbitrator training, but primarily serving a different national jurisdiction.
• Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA): Australia's international arbitration institution. Comparable as a regional peer offering arbitration rules, panels, and training for arbitrators in the Asia-Pacific region.

Direct peers

• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb): Global professional body for arbitrators with the international network of branches to which SIArb is affiliated. Most direct peer as a membership-driven accreditation and training body for dispute resolution professionals.
• Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA): A specialist maritime arbitration institution in Singapore that jointly delivers the MAAP with SIArb. Directly comparable as a Singapore-based arbitration body with overlapping professional membership.
• Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC): Regional peer arbitration institution in Hong Kong. Comparable as both a case administration body and a training/credentialing institution for arbitrators in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC): Singapore's flagship arbitration institution administering international cases. Sits in the same Singapore arbitration ecosystem as SIArb and frequently cross-references SIArb panel members and accredited arbitrators.

Others

• Maxwell Chambers: Singapore's principal arbitration hearing venue and now SIArb's Secretariat partner. Comparable as a key ecosystem counterpart that provides venue, case support, and administrative infrastructure to arbitration proceedings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/siarb1981

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Singapore Institute of Arbitrators