• Any DMCC member can include a DIFC Courts clause in commercial contracts with counterparties anywhere in the world, no additional UAE connection required
  • Joint initiatives include briefings, webinars, co-branded campaigns and digital portal integration to support business certainty, dispute readiness and estate planning
  • Partnership reinforces Dubai's D33 agenda by embedding world-class legal infrastructure directly into the DMCC business community

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – DMCC, the leading international business district that drives the flow of global trade through Dubai, and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts, the UAE’s premier English-language common law jurisdiction, today announced a major expansion of their strategic partnership, giving DMCC's community of more than 26,000 companies structured access to the full suite of DIFC Courts commercial and personal legal services.

The expanded Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) deepens a decade-long relationship between two of Dubai’s most internationally connected institutions, bringing DIFC Courts’ full suite of legal services into direct reach of DMCC’s international business community operating across trade, commodities, finance and technology sectors worldwide.

H.E. Justice Omar Al Mheiri, Director at the DIFC Courts, said: “Legal certainty is not a luxury for businesses operating at the frontier of global trade. It is the foundation on which everything else is built. DIFC Courts exists precisely for the kind of commerce DMCC members conduct: cross-border, complex and high-stakes. Our partnership with DMCC, now in its second decade, reflects a shared belief that legal certainty and commercial dynamism advance hand in hand. Any DMCC member can write DIFC Courts into their next contract, with any partner, in any country, and access English common law dispute resolution at a world-class standard. This partnership ensures that capability is not just theoretically available, but practically understood, accessible and used.”

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC, said: “As global trade flows become increasingly interconnected, access to sophisticated legal infrastructure is critical to maintaining business confidence and supporting international growth. Now in its second decade, our expanded partnership with the DIFC Courts reinforces Dubai’s position as one of the world’s most competitive and business-friendly jurisdictions. This ensures DMCC member companies can access a range of DIFC Courts services, including the Digital Economy Court, Mediation Service Centre, Notary Service, and Wills Service, enabling them to operate with greater certainty, protection, and efficiency. With almost 27,000 companies operating from DMCC across global trade and next-generation industries, institutional collaboration of this nature plays a key role in enabling businesses to scale internationally from Dubai.” 
 

For the 26,000 companies registered with DMCC, the expanded partnership translates into practical legal confidence across the full business lifecycle. DMCC member companies can include a DIFC Courts jurisdiction clause in commercial contracts with counterparties across global markets, giving them access to English common law dispute resolution, internationally recognised judges, and enforceable judgments for trade agreements, shareholder arrangements, and investment contracts. Where disputes arise, the DIFC Courts Mediation Service Centre, launched in 2025, also offers a faster and lower-cost alternative to court proceedings, with mediated settlements approved by the DIFC Courts carrying the same legal weight as a court judgment. For members navigating supplier disputes, partnership disagreements, or commercial claims, mediation provides a formal and enforceable pathway before litigation.

The partnership also supports DMCC members beyond dispute resolution, extending into personal planning, asset protection, and digital economy readiness. The DIFC Courts Wills Service gives non-Muslim residents and business owners a trusted mechanism to register a Will that protects personal assets, business interests, and dependents in the UAE, a critical need for DMCC’s international community of executives, founders, family offices, and companies representing more than 180 nationalities.

With the launch of the Digital Assets Wills Service in 2025, members holding cryptocurrency, digital tokens, or other blockchain-based assets also have access to a pioneering form of protection. This is particularly relevant to DMCC’s FinX ecosystem across finance, fintech, crypto, and AI, where cross-border, technology-driven commercial relationships may give rise to complex disputes involving AI-generated contracts, digital asset insolvency, blockchain evidence, and emerging forms of global trade. Such matters can be addressed through the DIFC Courts Digital Economy Court, which provides a specialist judicial forum for resolving disputes in the digital economy.

Under the expanded MoU, the DIFC Courts and DMCC will deliver joint briefings, workshops and webinars on the DIFC Courts’ services for DMCC member businesses, with targeted campaigns promoting Wills, estate and digital legal services to DMCC’s Wealth Hub and family office communities, opt-in jurisdiction guidance for DMCC members entering commercial contracts and integration of DIFC Courts service information and referral pathways into the DMCC member portal.

The signing was attended on behalf of the DIFC Courts by H.E. Justice Omar Al Mheiri, Director; Amna Al Owais, Deputy Director; Reem Al Shihhe, Chief Operating Officer; Ahmed Al Kamali, Senior Manager, Government and International Relations & Chief Justice Office and Ruksana Ellahi, Legal Counsel and Data Protection Officer. DMCC was represented by Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and CEO; Feryal Ahmadi, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer; Lucy Donnelly, General Counsel, DMCC Legal; and Suhaila Aldhaheri, Associate Director, Corporate Legal, DMCC Legal.

About the DIFC Courts[AA1] 

The DIFC Courts are an independent English 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.

About DMCC

DMCC is a leading international business district that drives the flow of global trade through Dubai. We make it easier for our members to do business, helping them access the world’s fastest growing markets from a dynamic district that offers everything they need to thrive. This approach is why we are the preferred location for over 25,000 top multinationals and high-impact startups, contributing significantly to Dubai’s position as a global hub for trade and innovation. DMCC is where the world does business.

For more information, visit dmcc.ae.

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