United Arab Emirates: Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration

Regional conflict, trade tariffs, disrupted supply chains and sanctions are testing businesses across the Middle East and beyond. When contractual obligations cannot be performed, the governing law and key contract clauses determine available relief, including whether parties can rely on force majeure, frustration or hardship. Recent litigation is testing these boundaries across England and Wales, DIFC, ADGM and the UAE Civil Code.

A UAE judgment may order another person or company to pay money, return property, vacate premises, hand over an asset, or perform a specific legal obligation. The decision confirms your legal right, but payment or compliance may still require a separate execution file.

The United Arab Emirates has acceded to the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, establishing a framework for enforcing mediated commercial settlements without relitigating disputes. This analysis examines the Convention's requirements, scope, exclusions, and the UAE's specific reservations that parties must navigate when seeking enforcement of international mediated settlement agreements.