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The DIFC Courts released statistics showing a record 810 cases filed from January to June this year, a 25 percent increase from the first half of 2025, with those claims carrying a combined value of AED 10.02 billion that rose 48 percent year on year. Nearly one in three of the cases, or 243, came under the courts’ opt-in jurisdiction in which parties voluntarily select the forum even when not required to do so, including 42 percent of claims before the Court of First Instance. The Arbitration Division saw 37 claims, up 61 percent, with a total value of AED 3.17 billion as parties continued to designate the DIFC Courts for supervisory matters related to arbitration.
Court of First Instance and its specialised divisions registered 110 claims, a 28 percent increase from the prior year, for a total value of AED 9.02 billion and an average claim size of AED 117.2 million, the DIFC Courts said in the release. The main Court of First Instance division alone recorded 72 claims that showed the average value more than doubling to AED 112.6 million. Justice Omar Al Mheiri, Director of the DIFC Courts, said in the statement, “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 Dhs112.6 million. Disputes of that value and complexity require proven systems and expertise.”
Small Claims Tribunal activity reached 479 cases, a 5 percent gain, with a total value of AED 44.7 million and an average claim of AED 94,000, continuing its focus on swift resolutions for individuals and small businesses. Enforcement filings more than doubled to 220 from 106 in the first half of 2025, averaging more than one per day and including eight applications to enforce orders and judgments from outside the DIFC jurisdiction. The release noted that such activity underscores the courts’ function in converting decisions into practical outcomes.
Ancillary services expanded as well, with the Wills Service registering 1,925 new wills to bring the cumulative total since inception above 14,300, according to the DIFC Courts data. The register of practitioners now lists 1,351 lawyers from 256 law firms while the Pro Bono Programme assisted 315 individuals with support from 55 volunteer lawyers across 39 firms. Those figures illustrate the broader ecosystem maintained alongside the core dispute resolution work.
Digital operations remained dominant, as 99 percent of the 824 proceedings were conducted online and the courts issued 1,766 digital orders and judgments during the period, enabling most users to advance cases remotely. The results provide an initial gauge of progress against the five-year strategy launched in December 2025 that emphasises higher-value disputes, voluntary uptake and digital access. Previous annual statistics from the DIFC Courts showed 1,509 claims valued at AED 18.6 billion for the full year of 2025, indicating the first-half 2026 performance has already surpassed half the prior annual claim value.
Al Mheiri added in the announcement, “Behind every statistic is a court user, a business protecting a contract, an individual resolving a dispute, or a family planning ahead. The value before the Courts also reflects a wider commercial reality: confidence in Dubai depends on commitments being clear, enforceable, and respected. This is where the DIFC Courts contribute directly to the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, by supporting certainty at every scale, whether the matter is Dhs112 million or Dhs94,000.” The DIFC Courts statement framed the outcomes as evidence of growing international trust in Dubai’s legal infrastructure for commercial matters.
