Recognizing the importance of a modernized judiciary in an increasingly global legal environment, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia announced a national judicial reform program in October 2007. In support of the King’s announcement and funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), the U.S.

CLDP sponsored the travel of USTR's Marideth Sandler to Tunisia and Egypt, October 24-November 4, 2008. Ms. Sandler conducted presentations on the U.S. General System of Preferences (GSP) in Tunisia (Tunis, Sfax and Sousse) and Cairo, Egypt.

In response to the request by the Moroccan Ministry of Industry and Commerce, CLDP organized a week-long program in the US for officials from the Moroccan Ministry of Industry and Commerce as well as representatives from the Moroccan agribusiness associations.

In conjunction with the Bahrain Legal and Judicial Studies Institute and the Bahraini Ministry of Justice, CLDP conducted a two-day workshop on Bankruptcy and Insolvency in Bahrain. Two U.S. federal bankruptcy judges traveled with CLDP staff to Manama to lead the workshop.