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DIFC Courts record Dh10 billion in claims as caseload hits first-half high
Nearly one in three cases filed by parties who chose the Courts’ jurisdiction voluntarily, underlining Dubai’s growing standing in global commercial dispute resolution
- PUBLISHED: Mon 13 Jul 2026, 4:05 PM UPDATED: Mon 13 Jul 2026, 4:08 PM
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts registered a record 810 cases in the first half of 2026, a 25 per cent rise year-on-year, with claims totalling Dh10 billion ($2.73 billion), up 48 per cent from the same period last year and averaging Dh55 million a day.
The figures, published on Monday, mark the first half-year results since the Courts launched their five-year strategy in December 2025, and point to growing confidence among businesses in choosing Dubai as a venue for resolving high-value commercial disputes.
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Nearly one in three cases – 243 of the 810 filed – came through the Courts’ opt-in jurisdiction, where parties voluntarily choose the DIFC Courts even though they are not required to do so. At the Court of First Instance (CFI), this share rose to 42 per cent of claims.
The Courts’ Arbitration Division registered 37 claims, up 61 per cent year-on-year, worth a combined Dh3.17 billion, as more parties selected the DIFC Courts as the supervisory jurisdiction for arbitration-related matters.
“These are the figures of a jurisdiction chosen, not assigned. Nearly one in three cases arrived by the parties’ own agreement, with the average claim before our Court of First Instance more than doubling to Dh112.6 million. Disputes of that value and complexity require proven systems and expertise,” said Justice Omar Al Mheiri, Director of the DIFC Courts.
Steady growth
The CFI and its specialised divisions handled 110 claims in the period, up from 86 in H1 2025, a 28 per cent rise, with a combined value of Dh9 billion and an average claim of Dh117.2 million. The main CFI division alone recorded 72 claims, an 18 per cent increase, with the average claim value more than doubling year-on-year to Dh112.6 million.
The Small Claims Tribunal, which handles disputes for individuals and SMEs, processed 479 claims, up 5 per cent, worth a total of Dh44.7 million, with an average claim value of Dh94,000.
Enforcement activity more than doubled during the period, with 220 filings recorded compared with 106 in the first half of 2025 – averaging more than one filing a day. Of these, eight applications sought to enforce orders and judgments originating outside the DIFC Courts.
“Behind every statistic is a court user, a business protecting a contract, an individual resolving a dispute, or a family planning ahead,” said Justice Al Mheiri.
Digital-first justice
Digital delivery remained the norm, with 99 per cent of proceedings – 818 of 824 – conducted online, and only six held in person. The Courts issued 1,766 digital orders and judgments during the six-month period.
The Courts’ ancillary services also saw continued activity. The Wills Service registered 1,925 wills in the first half, taking total registrations since inception past 14,300. The Courts’ register of practitioners now stands at 1,351 lawyers across 256 law firms, while the Pro Bono Programme assisted 315 individuals with support from 55 volunteer lawyers across 39 firms.
