Article 22(1) of the ICC Arbitration Rules provides that the arbitral tribunal and the parties must make ‘every effort to conduct the arbitration in an expeditious and cost-effective manner, having regard to the complexity and value of the dispute’. Although the length and the cost of proceedings are always a primary concern for arbitration practitioners, and even more so for the parties, these concerns are now undoubtedly more relevant than ever, and will remain so for some time. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on arbitration, specifically on the conduct of proceedings and the role of arbitrators is far from insignificant and recourse to arbitration may increase as a consequence of the situation caused by COVID-19.