DIFC Courts see 25% rise in case filings, claim values jump 48% in H1 2026
Dubai’s DIFC Courts recorded 810 case filings between January and June 2026, a 25% increase compared with the same period last year, according to figures released by the Court. The combined value of claims reached AED 10.02 billion (USD 2.73 billion), up 48% year-on-year, averaging roughly AED 55 million in claims per day.
The half-year data marks the first results reported since the Courts launched a five-year strategy in December 2025.
Of the 810 cases filed, 243 — nearly one in three — came through the Courts’ opt-in jurisdiction. Opt-in cases accounted for 42% of claims filed before the Court of First Instance (CFI).
The Courts’ Arbitration Division registered 37 claims, a 61% increase year-on-year, with a combined value of AED 3.17 billion, as parties continued to use the DIFC Courts as the supervisory jurisdiction for arbitration-related matters.
H.E. Justice Omar Al Mheiri, director of the DIFC Courts, said the figures reflect voluntary use of the court system rather than mandatory referrals. “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 AED 112.6 million”, he commented.
