The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts today announced the introduction of a new range of ancillary services, featuring the establishment of a Mediation Service Centre and a Notary Service.
This initiative follows the issuance of Dubai Law No. (2) in March 2025 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which laid the legislative groundwork for these services.
Additionally, a resolution was issued by H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in his capacity as President of the DIFC, defining the operational and implementation framework and officially creating both the Mediation Service Centre and the Notary Service under the DIFC Courts.
The Mediation Service Centre, located within the DIFC Courts, will provide an alternative dispute resolution mechanism, allowing parties to amicably settle disputes with the assistance of mediators registered with the DIFC Courts.
Parties will have the freedom to select mediators, agree on fees and terms beforehand, and choose between conducting mediation sessions online via the newly upgraded AI-enabled Court Management System (CMS) or in person at the DIFC Courts.
Wayne Martin, Chief Justice, DIFC Courts, said, “The DIFC Courts continues to pioneer advanced court and legal services, in close cooperation with Dubai’s leadership, as well as our public and private sector partners. Both the DIFC Courts Mediation Service Centre and the Notary Service will widen the suite of services, broadening access to justice, as well as providing greater flexibility for business and individuals seeking efficient, cost-effective solutions.”
Alongside the Mediation Service Centre, the DIFC Courts is also expanding its portfolio of services with the launch of a Notary Service. This practical addition empowers Notary Officers of the DIFC Courts to administer, witness, and attest oaths, affidavits, affirmations, and declarations, as well as certify and attest true copy documents for businesses and individuals. Focused exclusively on English-language documents, this marks the first service of its kind in the UAE.
The Notary Service will offer three modes of access: automated self-service, live virtual sessions, and in-person appointments. Users will also have the option to access authentication through DataFlow’s primary source verification (PSV).
Each notarised document will carry an electronic or physical stamp and seal, while advanced cryptographic methods—powered by Hedera Blockchain, will log notarisation events with time stamps, ensuring secure verification.
Justice Omar Al Mheiri, Director, DIFC Courts, said, “The DIFC Courts’ solutions are purposefully designed to bring confidence, clarity, and certainty to the region’s first English common law system so that businesses can flourish. The establishment of the Mediation Service Centre and the Notary Service serves to support our role by complementing federal and local strategic goals by building further confidence among growing domestic businesses, investors, and the international business community.”
The authenticity and preservation of notarised documents will be safeguarded using Hedera’s distributed ledger technology (DLT), which will convert documents into verifiable credentials (VC) in compliance with ERC20 standards.
To ensure complete confidentiality, advanced encryption and privacy-preserving protocols will be implemented, guaranteeing the protection of sensitive information throughout the process.
(Inputs from WAM)
