A. LEGISLATION, TRENDS AND TENDENCIES
In recent years, arbitration as a private dispute resolution
mechanism has experienced significant growth in the UAE,3 and
in particular in the Emirates of Dubai4 and Abu Dhabi. At the
same time, the UAE has witnessed a vertiginous increase in
arbitration institutions and is in the process of modernizing its
arbitration law to meet international standards and best practice.
Importantly, the UAE is a civil law jurisdiction, which offers a
common law alternative in the shape of the DIFC, as further
detailed below.
A.1 Institutional Framework
Almost each Emirate hosts an arbitration center of its own, such
as the Abu Dhabi Commercial Conciliation and Arbitration
Centre (ADCCAC), the Dubai International Arbitration Centre
(DIAC), the Sharjah International Commercial Arbitration
Centre and the Ras Al Khaimah Centre of Reconciliation and
Commercial Arbitration, all established under the auspices of
their respective local Chamber of Commerce.5