Mansour bin Zayed establishes Commercial Mediation Centre

Under the resolution, a specialised Commercial Mediation Centre will be created under the financial and administrative umbrella of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, while remaining subject to the supervision and oversight of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.

The centre will be based at the chamber’s headquarters, with provisions allowing for additional branches across the emirate to broaden access to its services.

Faster and more efficient dispute settlement

The centre is intended to deliver a more effective approach to dispute resolution by managing mediation proceedings through a modern institutional framework designed to settle disputes amicably and at lower cost.

It will also encourage businesses to adopt mediation as a quicker route to resolving disputes, while reinforcing governance, integrity and fairness through flexible and impartial procedures.

The initiative also aims to strengthen awareness and adoption of mediation practices at local, regional and international levels.

Powers to handle local and international cases

The resolution grants the centre broad authority to resolve disputes through court-referred mediation, consensual mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methods handled by the centre.

It will also provide amicable mediation services for domestic and international commercial disputes in line with applicable legislation, the centre’s regulations and procedures agreed upon by the parties involved.

Settlement agreements to be legally enforceable

The resolution further states that settlement agreements reached through the centre will be ratified by the supervising judge, granting them the force of an executory instrument and enabling direct enforcement in accordance with the UAE Federal Civil Procedures Law.