Dubai boosts its disputes presence with Decree 34

• Dubai Decree No 34 of 2021 significantly alters the arbitration landscape in Dubai.
• It is to be hoped that Decree 34 will achieve its objective to strengthen Dubai’s position as a global centre for alternative dispute resolution.

Parties wishing to arbitrate in the UAE benefit from a wide array of arbitration options: they may choose to seat their arbitration onshore in mainland Dubai (or in another Emirate) or offshore within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) or the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).

Background

• Both the DIFC and the ADGM constitute autonomous jurisdictions with their own courts and judicial systems modelled on the common law.
• A DIFC seat will trigger the application of the DIFC Arbitration Law (DIFC Law No 1 of 2008) as the procedural law of the arbitration and the jurisdiction of the DIFC courts as the crucial or supervisory courts.
• An arbitration