United Arab Emirates

The Legal Framework for Arbitration

General Information

  • UNCITRAL Model-Law based: Yes.

  • Legal Provisions: The United Arab Emirates differentiates between offshore and onshore arbitration proceedings:

    • Offshore arbitrations: Federal Arbitration Law (FAL) No. 6 of 2018; DIFC Law No. 1 of 2008 as amended, applicable at the Dubai International Financial Centre. An English version is available on DIFC website.The ADGM Arbitration Regulations of 2015, applicable in the Abu Dhabi Global Market. 

    • Onshore arbitrations: Federal Law No. 6 of 2018.

Arbitral Institutions

  • Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC)

  • DIFC-LCIA Arbitration Centre

  • Abu Dhabi Commercial Conciliation and Arbitration Centre (ADCCAC)

  • Sharjah International Commercial Arbitration Centre

Multilateral Conventions

  • New York Convention: Yes (ratification / accession: 21 August 2006); reservations: none.

  • ICSID Convention: Yes (ratification / accession: 23 December 1981).

  • Energy Charter Treaty: No.

 

Last updated February 2019