The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts received 243 opt-in cases in the first half of 2026, representing 30% of the 810 cases filed across all divisions. Of these, 201 were filed in the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT), while 42 were filed across the Court of First Instance (CFI), the Arbitration Division and the Digital Economy Court (DEC). Across the SCT, CFI and DEC, opt-in cases involved UAE-based parties alongside businesses and individuals from 22 overseas jurisdictions spanning five continents.
The figures reinforce the DIFC Courts’ standing as a forum of choice for cross-border commercial disputes and demonstrate the practical role of Dubai’s English-language common-law commercial court in international dispute resolution.
In addition to their default jurisdiction, the DIFC Courts allow parties to qualifying civil and commercial disputes to opt into the Courts’ jurisdiction by written agreement. This route is open to businesses across the UAE, whether or not they are located in the DIFC, as well as to parties internationally. Opting in can be done through a jurisdiction clause in the parties’ contract or by a separate written agreement, with no mandatory UAE connection required.
Choosing the DIFC Courts does not change the law of the contract: parties remain free to agree the governing law of their choice, which the Courts will then apply.
H.E. Justice Omar Al Mheiri, Director of the DIFC Courts, said: “For businesses operating across borders, the ability to agree a clear and reliable forum for resolving commercial disputes is an important part of doing business with confidence. The H1 figures show that UAE-based and international users are selecting the DIFC Courts for that purpose, including in matters with no UAE-based party. By delivering accessible, digitally enabled and independent commercial justice, we contribute to the confidence businesses need when trading internationally. This confidence supports the ambitions of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 by reinforcing Dubai’s position as a trusted destination for investment, trade and international business.”
In the CFI, 30 opt-in claims were filed in H1 2026. Nearly half (47%) involved at least one party based outside the UAE, with parties drawn from 13 overseas jurisdictions including Saudi Arabia, Oman, India, Germany, Switzerland, the United States and Australia; in some cases, no party was based in the UAE at all. The remaining CFI opt-in claims involved UAE-based parties choosing the DIFC Courts.
The Digital Economy Court received one opt-in claim involving parties recorded in the United Kingdom, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, El Salvador and Vietnam.
The international reach was also evident in the Arbitration Division, where 8 of the 11 opt-in cases filed in H1 2026 related to arbitrations seated overseas, in hubs including Singapore, Hong Kong, London, Paris and Stockholm, with parties opting in to the DIFC Courts’ jurisdiction in proceedings connected to those arbitrations.
Together, these figures demonstrate the DIFC Courts’ role in cross-border dispute resolution, including matters where no party was UAE-based and proceedings connected to arbitrations seated overseas, supported by an independent, English-language common-law framework and an established enforcement regime.
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About the DIFC Courts
The DIFC Courts are an independent, English-language common law jurisdiction and one of the institutional pillars of Dubai’s economic growth strategy, actively supporting the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, the Dubai Digital Strategy and the long-term vision of DIFC as a global financial hub.
Any two parties, anywhere in the world, can choose DIFC Courts as the forum for their commercial disputes by including a single clause in their contract, with no mandatory UAE connection required. Operating at 99 percent digital, the Courts deliver swift, transparent and enforceable proceedings before internationally recognised judges, under English common law principles.
The DIFC Courts launched a five-year Growth Strategy (2026–2030) to further strengthen its position as a global hub for commercial justice, introducing a new generation of advanced digital and knowledge capabilities into the justice system. Services include commercial dispute resolution, the Digital Economy Court, the Mediation Service Centre, the Notary Service and the Wills Service. The DIFC Courts were established in 2004, and in 2011 a decree of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum extended the Courts’ jurisdiction to businesses globally. In 2025, Law No. (2) of 2025 further modernised the Courts’ legislative framework.