The number of foreign enterprisers setting up companies in Dubai has expanded a lot during the last few years. However, many of them were reluctant in the beginning because they knew little about the UAE legal system. In order to provide foreign investors with the confidence they need, the Government has enabled a legislation that would help companies and citizens alike to resolve their legal issues in the safest conditions. The UAE legal system is based on the Federal Constitution, but each Emirate was given certain freedom when it comes to specific legal matters. The UAE has a civil law system which is based on statutory codes. These codes apply to both civil and commercial disputes.
In 2014, Dubai has enabled its own legislation covering the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) courts and the Arbitration Institute in order to facilitate dispute resolution. Our law firm in Dubai can provide you with detailed information about the UAE legal system and its courts.
Dispute resolution through court procedures in Dubai
In matters related to commercial agreements to be carried out in Dubai, disputes arising from contracts will be dealt with by the local courts. When filing a petition with a Dubai court, all documents must be translated into Arabic, as all proceedings will be conducted in Arabic. In most cases, the judge will take into consideration all the documents submitted and hear the testimony of involved parties before making a decision. Where the case requires it, the judge will appoint an independent expert to help them with determining the cause of the dispute.
Alternative dispute resolution in Dubai
The most important reason the DIFC courts were enabled was to offer international companies a familiar way of resolving disputes through arbitration. Dubai is now home to the International Arbitration Centre with provides for arbitration proceedings, which are the most employed alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods at the moment. The DIFC is home to the Dispute Resolution Authority which works together with the London Court of International Arbitration (LICA) in order to provide the best legal solutions in litigation matters.
If you need legal assistance in commercial disputes, you can contact our lawyers in Dubai who will help you in both court and arbitration proceedings.