Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts on Sunday announced the launch of a specialised division for the region’s technology and construction companies to resolve their most complex commercial disputes. 

The Technology and Construction Division (TCD) draws on specialist judges and industry-specific rules to fast-track dispute resolution in technically complex cases such as complicated engineering disputes or claims arising out of fires, DIFC Courts said in a press statement.

The statement said parties located anywhere in the world can opt-in to the DIFC Courts’ jurisdiction, if both parties agree in writing. Requests to have claims heard by the TCD are made as part of the initial filing, with the Courts’ decision based on the written evidence provided.

According to a recent BMI study, the total value of building and construction contracts in the MENA region will touch $300 billion by 2019. Meanwhile, research from Gartner projected IT spending in the MENA region will reach $155.5 billion in 2017.   

The TDC will be headed by Justice Sir Richard Field, who brings 20 years of experience handling complex disputes in the London courts. A British national, he joined the DIFC Courts in 2015 following his tenure as Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court in London.

Dubai-based DIFC Courts administer a unique English-language common law to settle local and international commercial or civil disputes. The DIFC Courts are independent from, but complementary to, the UAE’s Arabic-language civil law system.

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