SIAC released its 2025 Annual Report, reporting 886 new cases and US$14.53 billion in total dispute value. This article examines the key statistics in context, comparing them against prior years and analysing their practical implications.
1. Continued Growth in Caseload and Dispute Values
SIAC has established itself as one of the leading arbitration institutions globally, consistently ranking among the top three in international surveys. The 2025 caseload of 886 cases represents SIAC’s second-highest on record, following the exceptional 1,080 cases in 2020. More significantly, the total sum in dispute increased from US$11.86 billion in 2024 to US$14.53 billion in 2025 – a 23% increase that indicates parties are bringing higher-value disputes to the institution.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | Change |
| Total New Cases | 886 | 625 | +42% |
| SIAC-administered Cases | 737 | 585 | +26% |
| Total Sum in Dispute | US$14.53 billion | US$11.86 billion | +23% |
| Average Case Value | US$24.70 million | US$31.55 million | -22% |
| Highest Single Case | US$3.93 billion | US$2.58 billion | +52% |
| International Cases | 89% | 91% | Stable |
135 of the 2025 cases were a related series where SIAC acted as appointing authority. Excluding these, underlying growth remains positive but more moderate. The decrease in average case value reflects this influx of related cases, while the increase in the highest single case value (from US$2.58 billion to US$3.93 billion) confirms that major transactions continue to select SIAC.
2. The Streamlined Procedure Demonstrates Viability in Its First Year
The SIAC Rules 2025, which came into force on 1 January 2025, introduced the Streamlined Procedure, which is designed to deliver awards within three months of tribunal constitution. In its first year, 60 cases proceeded under this mechanism. SIAC’s report confirms that cases have concluded within the three-month timeline, demonstrating that the accelerated timeframe is achievable in practice.
This uptake is significant given long-standing concerns about arbitration becoming as slow and costly as litigation. The Streamlined Procedure offers a structured alternative for disputes where speed is prioritised over procedural comprehensiveness.
| Procedure | Timeline | 2025 Applications | Acceptance Rate |
| Streamlined Procedure | 3 months from tribunal constitution | 60 cases proceeded | Cases completing within timeline |
| Expedited Procedure | 6 months from tribunal constitution | 130 applications | 42% (55 accepted) |
| Emergency Arbitrator | Decision within 14 days | 19 applications | 95% (18 accepted) |
The Expedited Procedure acceptance rate of 42% (compared to 46% in 2024) indicates continued selectivity, as the procedure is not available merely upon application. Disputes involving multiple parties, extensive document production, or complex expert evidence typically do not qualify.
The Streamlined Procedure is suited to lower-complexity disputes where the facts are relatively clear and both parties have commercial incentives for rapid resolution. Complex multi-party disputes or those requiring extensive evidence remain better suited to standard procedures.
3. Geographic Reach Extends Across 79 Jurisdictions
Parties from 79 jurisdictions were represented in SIAC’s 2025 caseload, up from 72 in 2024. The international character of the caseload remained consistent at 89%.
| Rank | Jurisdiction | 2025 Parties | 2024 Parties | Notable Context |
| 1 | Mainland China | 378 | 227 (#2) | Consistent major user |
| 2 | Vietnam | 337 | 26 | Includes series of related cases |
| 3 | India | 178 | 183 (#3) | Consistent major user |
| 4 | Thailand | 100 | 34 | Increased representation |
| 5 | USA | 83 | 88 (#5) | Consistent |
| 6 | Hong Kong | 81 | 121 (#4) | Decreased from 2024 |
| 7 | UAE | 69 | 42 (#8) | Increased representation |
| 8 | Indonesia | 66 | 60 (#6) | Consistent |
| 9 | Japan | 58 | 34 (#7) | Increased representation |
| 10 | South Korea / UK | 42 each | 295 (#1) / 10 (#9) | South Korea’s 2024 spike was due to related cases |
The data reflects SIAC’s acceptance across diverse legal traditions. Parties from common law jurisdictions (Singapore, India, Hong Kong, UK, Australia) and civil law jurisdictions (Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, UAE) both feature prominently.
4. Emergency Arbitrator Mechanism Remains Highly Accessible
The emergency arbitrator procedure addresses situations where parties cannot wait for a tribunal to be constituted (asset dissipation risks, threatened contract breaches, or corporate governance actions requiring immediate intervention).
In 2025, SIAC received 19 emergency arbitrator applications and accepted 18 (95%). Since the procedure’s introduction in 2010, 191 of 192 applications have been accepted. This high acceptance rate indicates that properly filed applications will result in an emergency arbitrator being appointed.
| Metric | 2025 | Cumulative (Since 2010) |
| Applications Received | 19 | 192 |
| Applications Accepted | 18 (95%) | 191 (99.5%) |
| Appointment Timeline | Within 24 hours of acceptance | — |
| Decision Timeline | Within 14 days of appointment | — |
Corporate disputes account for 38% of emergency arbitrator applications since 2010, followed by commercial disputes (20%) and trade disputes (16%).
The Corporate category’s prominence reflects the time-sensitive nature of governance disputes (share transfers, board composition changes, and asset movements) which can occur within days, making speed critical.
5. Consolidation and Joinder Succeed More Often Than Not
Complex transactions frequently generate multiple related disputes, whether under different contracts or involving parties not originally included in the arbitration. Handling these separately creates inefficiency and risks inconsistent outcomes.
SIAC’s consolidation and joinder mechanisms address this.
In 2025, consolidation applications succeeded 62% of the time (66 of 107), and joinder applications succeeded 56% (5 of 9).
| Mechanism | 2025 Applications | 2025 Success Rate | Cumulative Success Rate (Since 2016) |
| Consolidation | 107 | 62% (66 granted) | 68% (437 of 640) |
| Joinder | 9 | 56% (5 granted) | 48% (42 of 87) |
The consolidation success rate indicates that applications have a reasonable prospect of success, particularly when made early (before proceedings diverge significantly). The 2025 data shows that 104 of 107 consolidation applications were made before tribunal constitution, suggesting parties recognise the importance of early application.
For transaction structuring, this data reinforces the value of consistent arbitration clauses across related documents. Inconsistent clauses (different seats, different institutions, incompatible appointment mechanisms) can preclude consolidation even where the underlying disputes are closely related.
6. Governing Law Diversity Reflects International Character
Singapore law governed 52.1% of SIAC cases in 2025, consistent with 53.2% in 2024. UK/English law governed 28.4%, also consistent with 27.4% in 2024. The remaining 19.5% comprised 32 other governing laws.
| Governing Law | 2025 Share | 2024 Share |
| Singapore | 52.1% | 53.2% |
| UK/English | 28.4% | 27.4% |
| India | 5.0% | 5.3% |
| Other (31 additional laws) | 14.5% | 14.1% |
The consistency of these proportions across years indicates stable patterns in governing law selection among SIAC users. Singapore and English law together account for approximately 80% of cases, reflecting both the institution’s location and English law’s continued use in shipping, commodities, and financial contracts – sectors with significant SIAC representation.
SIAC administers disputes under any governing law. For disputes governed by laws other than Singapore or English law, appropriate arbitrators can be selected from SIAC’s international panel or nominated by parties.
7. Arbitrator Pool Draws from 36 Jurisdictions
SIAC made 231 direct appointments of arbitrators in 2025 (187 sole arbitrators, 44 to three-member tribunals). Appointed arbitrators came from 36 jurisdictions, providing access to expertise across diverse legal systems.
| Arbitrator Origin | 2025 Appointments | 2024 Appointments |
| Singapore | 151 | 120 |
| United Kingdom | 103 | 90 |
| India | 31 | 31 |
| Australia | 29 | 25 |
| USA | 17 | 23 |
| Malaysia | 16 | 20 |
| Other (30 jurisdictions) | 92 | 76 |
Gender diversity in SIAC appointments reached 36% female in 2025, up from 35% in 2024. This reflects broader industry efforts to diversify the arbitrator pool, though the majority of party-nominated arbitrators remain male.
Challenges to arbitrators remain rare. In 2025, 11 challenges were decided by the SIAC Court of Arbitration: 1 was upheld, 6 were rejected, 1 was withdrawn, 2 resulted in resignations, and 1 was pending.
8. Conclusion
The 2025 statistics reflect continued institutional growth and the successful introduction of new procedures. Three developments merit particular attention:
The Streamlined Procedure’s first-year uptake (60 cases) and confirmed completion within the three-month timeline demonstrate that accelerated arbitration is viable. This provides a concrete option for disputes where speed is prioritised.
The geographic distribution – 79 jurisdictions, with significant representation from both established and emerging markets – confirms SIAC’s acceptance as a neutral forum across diverse legal traditions.
The emergency arbitrator mechanism’s near-universal acceptance rate (95% in 2025, 99.5% cumulative) and the consolidation mechanism’s 62% success rate indicate that these procedural tools function effectively in practice.
The data supports informed decision-making about arbitration clause drafting and procedural strategy. Parties should consider which procedures align with their anticipated dispute types, whether consistent clauses across transaction documents would facilitate consolidation if needed, and whether emergency arbitrator provisions should be retained or modified for their specific circumstances.