Businesses bring record Dh10 billion in claims to DIFC Courts

Dubai: Businesses are increasingly choosing the DIFC Courts to resolve commercial disputes, with nearly one in three cases filed during the first half of 2026 brought through agreements that expressly selected its jurisdiction.

A record 810 cases were filed between January and June, up 25% from the same period last year, while the combined value of claims rose 48% to Dh10.02 billion.

The value equated to an average of Dh55 million in claims for every day during the six-month period.

Of the total cases, 243 were brought under the courts’ opt-in jurisdiction, which allows parties to select the DIFC Courts even when they are not otherwise required to use them.

The share increased to 42% among claims filed at the Court of First Instance, showing that businesses involved in high-value and complex disputes are actively including the DIFC Courts in their commercial agreements.

The Court of First Instance and its specialised divisions registered 110 claims, an increase of 28% from 86 cases during the first half of 2025.

Those claims had a combined value of Dh9.02 billion and an average value of Dh117.2 million.

The main Court of First Instance division handled 72 claims, up 18%, while the average claim value more than doubled to Dh112.6 million.

“These are the figures of a jurisdiction chosen, not assigned," said Justice Omar Al Mheiri, Director of the DIFC Courts. "Nearly one in three cases arrived by the parties’ own agreement, with the average claim before our Court of First Instance more than doubling to Dh112.6 million. Disputes of that value and complexity require proven systems and expertise.”

He added, “In the first half-year since the launch of our five-year strategy, these results show the direction clearly: greater international trust, stronger digital access, and a court system aligned with the scale of Dubai’s economic ambition.”

The Arbitration Division registered 37 claims during the period, up 61% from a year earlier, with a combined value of Dh3.17 billion.

The division handles court applications linked to arbitration proceedings, including cases where parties select the DIFC Courts to supervise or support the process.

The Small Claims Tribunal received 479 claims, an increase of 5%, with a combined value of Dh44.7 million and an average claim value of Dh94,000.

The tribunal provides a route for individuals and small and medium-sized businesses seeking to resolve lower-value disputes.

Enforcement activity rose considerably during the first half, with 220 filings compared with 106 during the same period in 2025.

The total included eight applications seeking to enforce judgments and orders issued outside the DIFC Courts.

The rise means the courts handled an average of more than one enforcement filing every day, covering cases where successful parties sought to turn judgments into recoverable outcomes.

Al Mheiri said, “Behind every statistic is a court user, a business protecting a contract, an individual resolving a dispute, or a family planning ahead.”

He added, “The value before the Courts also reflects a wider commercial reality: confidence in Dubai depends on commitments being clear, enforceable, and respected. This is where the DIFC Courts contribute directly to the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, by supporting certainty at every scale, whether the matter is Dh112 million or Dh94,000.”

Digital hearings remained the standard, with 818 of 824 proceedings conducted online and only six requiring an in-person appearance.

The DIFC Courts also issued 1,766 digital orders and judgments during the first six months of the year.

Its Wills Service registered 1,925 wills, taking the total recorded since the service began to more than 14,300.

The courts’ register of practitioners reached 1,351 lawyers across 256 law firms, while the Pro Bono Programme assisted 315 people with support from 55 volunteer lawyers representing 39 firms.