The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts has released its figures for the first quarter of the year, reporting a strong uptake of services and continued growth in case numbers.
Some 325 cases were filed across all divisions in the first quarter of 2025 with a total value of AED 179.6 million, according to the latest figures. The average value of claims was AED 700,000.
There were 222 cases filed in the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT), 58 cases in the Enforcement Division (ENF), 33 in the Civil & Commercial Division (CCD), and 13 in the Arbitration Division (ARB).
The CCD saw the greatest value in claims totalling AED 121.2 million, followed by the ARB with AED 38.5 million and the SCT with AED 19.9 million in claims value.
The average claim value was AED 6.4 million in the ARB, AED 5.3 million in the CCD, and AED 92,000 in the SCT.
The DIFC Courts issued 547 digital orders and 39 digital judgments, according to the figures. It also conducted 99% of hearings via its digital hearing platforms.
The statistics further show there were 448 wills registrations during the first quarter of 2025.
In terms of pro bono impact, the DIFC Courts reported 194 people received assistance through its pro bono programme, with 39 law firms and 51 lawyers offering voluntary assistance.
Speaking to Law Middle East, His Excellency Justice Omar Al Mheiri, director at DIFC Courts, said: “The robust performance of DIFC Courts in the first quarter of 2025 demonstrates how we’ve grown to become an indispensable enabler for both businesses and members of the public in the UAE and beyond.”
“In Q1, we welcomed consistently strong activity within the Small Claims Tribunal and Civil & Commercial Division, which highlights how our trusted English-language common law system continues to resonate with a broad spectrum of investors and businesses who seek an independent, transparent, well-functioning legal system that can deliver certainty,” he said. “More recently, we’ve been working hard to build upon our ancillary services, and during Q1 2025 alone 448 wills were registered, representing increasing public demand and trust in the DIFC Courts’ wider proposition.”
He went on to say: “As we move forward, our unwavering focus remains on delivering judicial excellence, accelerating digital transformation, and aligning with Dubai and the UAE’s national priorities. Through this, the DIFC Courts will continue to evolve as a world-class common law judiciary, innovative, adaptive, and firmly committed to supporting the dynamic needs of our business community and the wider economy.”
Established in 2004, the DIFC Courts are English language courts that apply with exclusive jurisdiction in the DIFC, an economic free zone in Dubai. They are independent from, but complementary to, the UAE’s Arabic language civil law system.
