Dubai: The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts saw a 108 per cent increase in enforcement claims filed in 2021 at Dh2.3 billion, it said on Tuesday, with net value of claims across all divisions reaching Dh6.1 billion.
As many as 239 enforcement cases were recorded in 2021, it said in its annual figures, while total volume of cases across divisions stood at 747.
The main Court of First Instance (CFI) recorded 147 cases, with a total case value of Dh3.8 billion and average case value of Dh46.7 million, which also includes the Technology & Construction Division (TCD) and Arbitration Division (ARB) cases.
Cases brought before the CFI covered a range of sectors including banking and finance, construction, technology, and real estate, and involved disputes related to breach of contract, insolvency, arbitration agreements, employment, and public international law. There was also a noticeable increase in the number of opt-in cases in 2021, with 50 per cent of claims in the CFI originating from parties electing to use the DIFC Courts to resolve their disputes.
The Small Claims Tribunal (SCT) recorded 361 cases in 2021, with 65 per cent of claims in the SCT originating from parties electing to use the DIFC Courts to resolve their disputes. Cases were driven primarily by breach of contract, which represented 62 per cent of all cases in 2021, followed by employment (22 per cent), property and tenancy (13 per cent), and banking & finance (3 per cent). Total value of claims at the tribunal recorded in 2021 was Dh36.9 million, with an average case value of Dh106,000.
“We continue our mission to generate the best from litigation, arbitration, and mediation to provide a new, more modern set of procedures for resolving disputes. The DIFC Courts has led with the necessity to develop not just an institution to hear cases, but also to contribute to the style and manner in which the court user journey is synthesized,” said Zaki Azmi, Chief Justice, DIFC Courts.
Justice Omar Al Mheiri, Director, DIFC Courts, said: “Whilst the DIFC Courts has developed a directive to absorb the maturing needs of the regional legal community, the original and purest foundational mandate still remains; to promote Dubai and the UAE’s geographic position in the Gulf as a significant strategic advantage for international investors - a gateway bridging those working in South and East Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the western hemisphere.”
