DMCC and the DIFC Courts have announced the expansion of their strategic partnership, giving companies within the DMCC business community wider access to the legal and commercial services provided by the DIFC Courts.

The partnership covers more than 26,000 companies registered with DMCC, operating across key sectors such as trade, commodities, finance, and technology. It provides these companies with access to a specialized judicial framework that supports their business activities and transactions inside the UAE and across international markets.

Under the expanded partnership, DMCC member companies can choose the DIFC Courts as the competent authority to resolve disputes that may arise from their commercial contracts with parties in different markets around the world. This gives companies the ability to benefit from a judicial system based on common law principles, with proceedings conducted in English.

Judge Omar Al Mheiri, Director of the DIFC Courts, said that any company within DMCC can select the DIFC Courts to hear disputes related to its commercial contracts, whether with parties inside or outside the UAE. He noted that the partnership helps make this legal option clearer and more accessible to companies, allowing them to apply it practically in their daily business operations.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC, said the expansion of the partnership with the DIFC Courts, now entering its second decade, reflects Dubai’s position as one of the world’s most competitive and attractive business destinations. He added that the move enables member companies to benefit from a broad range of services, including the Digital Economy Court, the Mediation Service Centre, notary services, and wills registration, helping them conduct business with greater certainty, protection, and efficiency.

The partnership allows DMCC member companies to include a DIFC Courts jurisdiction clause in their commercial contracts with partners, suppliers, and investors across global markets. This provides a clear mechanism for resolving commercial disputes, supported by enforceable judgments related to commercial agreements, shareholder agreements, investment contracts, and other business arrangements.

In the event of a dispute, the DIFC Courts’ Mediation Service Centre, launched in 2025, offers an alternative route to traditional litigation. This process is designed to be faster and less costly, while settlements reached through mediation and approved by the centre carry the same legal force as court judgments.

Mediation services are particularly useful for companies facing supplier disputes, disagreements between partners, or commercial claims. They provide a formal and enforceable way to resolve disputes before moving to court proceedings.

The partnership is not limited to commercial matters. It also extends to personal planning and asset protection through the DIFC Courts’ Wills Service. This service provides non-Muslim residents and investors with a trusted mechanism to register their wills, helping protect their personal assets, business interests, and the rights of their beneficiaries within the UAE.

This service is especially important for DMCC’s international business community, which includes companies, entrepreneurs, senior executives, and family offices representing more than 180 nationalities.

The partnership also supports companies in preparing for the requirements of the digital economy, particularly following the launch of the Digital Assets Will in 2025. This service allows members who hold cryptocurrencies, digital tokens, or blockchain-based assets to benefit from a legal mechanism designed to protect and organize these assets.

The importance of the partnership is further strengthened by the growth of cross-border, technology-driven commercial transactions, which may lead to more complex disputes. These could include contracts created using artificial intelligence, digital asset insolvency cases, blockchain-based evidence, or other emerging models of global trade. Such matters can be considered through the DIFC Courts’ Digital Economy Court.

Under the memorandum of understanding, DMCC and the DIFC Courts will work together to organize joint awareness sessions, workshops, and webinars. These initiatives aim to introduce member companies to the available services and explain how they can benefit from them.