On 26 May 2005, Mr Waguih Elie George Siag and Ms Clorinda Vecchi (“Mr Siag” and “Ms Vecchi,” collectively “the Claimants”) filed with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (“ICSID” or “the Centre”) a Request for Arbitration (“the Request”) directed against the Arab Republic of Egypt (“Egypt” or “the Respondent”). The Request invoked the ICSID arbitration provision of Article 9 of the Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Investments between the Republic of Italy and the Arab Republic of Egypt dated 2 March 1989 (the “BIT”).