Dubai's leading international business hub, DMCC, has joined forces with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts to significantly widen their strategic collaboration. This enhanced agreement is designed to provide DMCC's extensive network of more than 26,000 enterprises with comprehensive access to a broad array of personal and commercial legal services offered by the DIFC Courts
Building upon a ten-year relationship, the updated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) allows DMCC members to seamlessly incorporate DIFC Courts jurisdiction clauses into their international agreements. Crucially, businesses can apply these clauses to contracts with global partners without requiring any further ties to the UAE, thereby securing access to English common law dispute resolution and globally enforceable rulings. This expansion aligns with the DIFC Courts' recently launched five-year Growth Strategy (2026–2030), building upon a legacy that began with their establishment in 2004, global expansion in 2011, and the recent modernisation of their legislative framework via Law No. (2) of 2025.
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.”
Aside from traditional litigation, DMCC firms can now utilise the Mediation Service Centre, which introduced a more cost-effective and rapid dispute resolution pathway in 2025 where mediated agreements carry the full authority of a court judgment. Furthermore, companies operating within the technology, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrency sectors—particularly those within DMCC's FinX ecosystem—will benefit from the Digital Economy Court. This specialised judicial body is equipped to manage intricate disputes surrounding blockchain evidence, AI-generated contracts, and digital asset insolvencies. Operating at 99 percent digital, the DIFC Courts actively support the Dubai Digital Strategy by delivering transparent and rapid proceedings.
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.”
The partnership also extends its focus to estate planning and personal asset protection. Expatriate business owners and non-Muslim residents can register wills through the DIFC Courts to safeguard their local assets, business interests, and dependents. This fulfils a critical need for DMCC's highly diverse international community of executives and founders, which represents more than 180 nationalities. In tandem with this, the Digital Assets Wills Service, introduced in 2025, offers a modern mechanism for individuals to secure their cryptocurrency, digital tokens, and other blockchain-based wealth.
To ensure maximum engagement and practical readiness, both entities will roll out a series of collaborative workshops and webinars. The partnership will also feature targeted campaigns directly promoting these digital and estate services to DMCC's Wealth Hub and family office communities, alongside integrating DIFC Courts referral pathways directly into the DMCC member portal.
The signing ceremony marking this expanded MoU was attended on behalf of the DIFC Courts by H.E. Justice Omar Al Mheiri, Amna Al Owais, Reem Al Shihhe, Ahmed Al Kamali, and Ruksana Ellahi. DMCC was represented by Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Feryal Ahmadi, Lucy Donnelly, and Suhaila Aldhaheri. Ultimately, this alliance actively bolsters the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 by seamlessly weaving top-tier legal infrastructure into the fabric of the emirate's vibrant business environment.